A Sunday Reflection on the Meaning of a Meaningful Life

I have been reflecting a lot on what a meaningful life is.  It is easy to be blinded by the media on what success means - a big house, fancy cars, money in the bank etc.  I have been thinking about these variables that I have used before to measure my life and I have noticed these 'variables' I wish to attain have certainly changed as I have changed.

I was asked during a leadership workshop what I had on my bucket list and as everyone listed an exotic vacation, or to own a dream car, I mentioned that if I could grow old to see my daughters grow up and become happy parents, then I would have achieved the only item listed on my bucket list.  Perhaps it is being a parent that has caused these thoughts to strengthen in me but I find myself sometimes slipping back into the clouds of materialism.  Hey, we're all human and desire is perfectly natural.  However, what we practice, we form as habits.  And I have been practicing this feeling of desiring and striving to attain 'variables' for much too long.

Today I had a revelation.....as always, due to my trusty journal.  Meaning from life comes from creating meaning in the lives of others.  Using our creativity for the betterment of this world brings about an inner feeling of accomplishment that transcends any feeling that could be gained from owning a fancy car, or going on an exotic luxury vacation.

Give a lot of yourself,
To receive a lot for yourself.
Have fun, be creative, be daring,
& dream of ideas that encourage sharing.
One day our efforts may mean nothing...
But making this world smile today, definitely means something.

Gautam

Make your day a 10!

Make your day a 10!

A few years ago, I sat in an 'Intro to Coaching' session where the speaker challenged us to evaluate our lives on a scale of 1 to 10 based on several subjects including Health, Wealth, Self-Development, Family, Friendships, etc.  After we put a number down, we were then asked to think about what we needed to do to take that number up a notch.  Example.  If I gave myself a 7 for health, what would I need to lose or incorporate into my day to make that an 8.  It was a powerful exercise and I revisited this idea from a journaling point of view.

Here's how....
At the end of the day, I write down each subject, (example. Health) and  I rate myself on the subject based on how I felt I did today, and then write down why I gave myself this 'mark'.  Then I would write down what I could do tomorrow to make myself get a 10.  And this is where the right side of the brain comes into play.   :-)

The effects of this activity are amazing.  Not only because of the great ideas generated, but it has begun to train my mind to continuously challenge how I would rate my day and I how I could make it better throughout the course of my day.  A friend of mine used to say 'the past does not equal the future' and by catching myself in the day, I can let a day that began wrong, end of right.  We may not be able to control everything, but we will definitely have a stronger part in determining our destiny.

What are some ways that you are making your day a 10?

Why I love to Journal

I was remembering a past career I once had as a journaling workshop coordinator.  My goal was to teach people in groups on how to journal and in my intro, I would always start of with 'Gratitude' as the group's first activity.  In debriefing the activity, the group would agree that they felt amazing after completing this simple exercise of writing everything they had to be grateful for, and doing so in ten minutes.   This is when I would enthusiastically say 'And guess what, everybody!?  YOU made yourself feel great!!!"  A simple journaling activity that can instantly change the way we feel- AWESOME!

The feeling of being drawn into the present moment and having the weight of burden lifted from your shoulders is what I experience regularly when I journal with my heart.   As mentioned in earlier posts, being completely honest with yourself is a requirement for effective journaling....and really being free in general.  However, we may not always have a venue/ear to vent or spill our problems to.  A journal provides a safe way for you to dump your troubles and if you are not comfortable having this out in the open, all you have to do is simply destroy the page you wrote on.  Leading to my other reason for enjoying journaling- it is a relatively inexpensive way to relieve stress.

I came across a fantastic blog post that is quite timely for the new year.  In reading this, I started asking myself questions such as 'What do I enjoy doing that makes me happy?', 'Who in my life can I spend my time with to help me grow and love?', 'What can I do to be in the present moment? ' and so on.  I highly recommend this read and would encourage you to converse with your thoughts in a journal on how you are going to make 2012 a successful and happy new year!

http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/12/18/30-things-to-start-doing-for-yourself/

And for any questions on journaling, please send an email to gautam4life@gmail.com .  And remember, be honest with yourself and speak from your heart.  :)