The meaning of life is to give life meaning.
(Ken Hudgins)
The foundations of health include the four fitnesses – physical, mental, spiritual, and financial – as well as love, adventure, and significance. We establish a healthy foundation for wellness by practicing the four fitnesses. We add feeling, joy, and excitement to life with love and adventure. We add meaning to our lives through the pursuit of significance.
The pursuit of significance is a daily practice of priorities. It is when you set out on a path, with your eyes aimed at something important, and you work towards this something every day. Your something significant can be anything from a tangible goal to the legacy you leave behind one day. It does not matter where you begin. Through this practice you will learn that you can do anything with meaning… and that will give your life meaning.
Here are three simple ways to pursue significance in your life:
Begin and end with gratitude. Start each day and finish each evening by thinking of three things for which you are grateful. When we anchor ourselves to the abundance in our lives, we uncover that which is most significant to us.
Act with meaning. You can turn any “daily chore” into a pursuit of significance by acting with meaning, love and intention. Next time you’re folding laundry, cooking dinner, or wrapping a gift, pause for a few moments. Take a deep breath, think about the recipient, and then move forward with meaning. This practice of mindfulness will help you see how your smallest actions are significant.
Dream big, live big. Give yourself time each week to daydream. Collect images of places you would like to go, things you would like to do. Dream up your biggest dreams, the kind that makes your stomach tie in knots. Think of something small that you can do towards those dreams, and then act without question or fear. Just do it. If you can do this every day, or even every week, you will know what it is to pursue significance.
First image via Unsplash