Finding meaning in life is embedded in all my work and what Lee and I do. You might say it’s like a mission statement if I actually had one. It occurred to me it is very important, yet, I haven’t considered how I actually do it. Let me see if writing helps me define it.
As we prepare to host our big music event, “The Senegal Project”, for our non-profit GreenRoom Exchange*, I realize it is an extension of the belief that it is important to find meaning in what you do. As we prepare for travel later this year, I realize we declared we don’t want to go as tourists, we want a deeper dive. This idea seems to be embedded in lots of things we do.
So, it begs the question – what brings deeper meaning to your life?
EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR FULL SENSES
There is a lot of sleepwalking in life – your daily routine can put you in the middle of things without being fully aware of all the steps you took to get there. We all do it. But if you want deeper meaning in your life, you have to wake up and be more conscious. That means experiencing everything with all your senses turned on.
We look and see, we listen and hear, we touch and feel, and then there are the nuanced senses of feeling into all of that and using intuition. That’s when we are fully tuned in and aware. It’s our intuition that tells us to notice more fully, to really see, hear, feel, and sense. I see Lee doing it with his flower photography and feeling into his music. I notice it watching people and sensing what they are experiencing, even with animals and seeing signs in nature. It takes practice and a desire to go deeper.
MAKE RELATIONSHIPS COUNT
Relationships may be the most important and the hardest aspect of going deeper. We have our family and friends, but how much do we really make them count? There is a lot we take for granted, with nice platitudes and going through the motions. So, what does it mean to go deeper? It may mean taking some risks.
I can only speak for myself. I think it means saying what usually is left unsaid – how much someone means to you and why. It means being consistent in expressing your appreciation and honoring one another. It means noticing the stranger who sometimes can be like an angel with a special message you know you need to pay attention to. If you have had that happen, you know what I mean. It will happen a lot when you start to pay attention. I just witnessed a friend be told by someone she just met to “Do something you’ve never done before on your vacation”. It took her so by surprise that I’m sure she will act on it.
NOTICE INTERCONNECTIONS AND WHAT’S SPECIAL
We may understand the concept of being interconnected, but how does that play out in your life? Do you really notice how much impact you make? Simple things like, if you don’t water your plants, they will die may be obvious, but that actually is rich with meaning. Do you notice how the right people come into your life for a reason? Be clear on your intentionality and notice the impact you and others make.
I love noticing how random meetings can be filled with meaning. Like when I met Alioune Guisee, who was my Uber driver in Chicago 3 years ago, I immediately knew something special would unfold. He knew it too. He is the Senegal singer/composer we are highlighting in our show. I like noticing signs – in weather, the seasons, animals’ reactions, in the formation of trees and vegetation. They all tell a story of what has happened or may be coming. We certainly recognize the signs natural disasters tell us about climate change. There are meaningful signs everywhere.
LOOK FOR THE SPIRITUAL – YOUR SOUL PERSPECTIVE
No matter your spiritual beliefs, there are tenants across all faiths that provide a universal message of responsibility to one another and to our world. Your soul inherently understands these truths, no matter your beliefs. We have to choose to listen to them.
if you want to live more deeply, it requires taking some of the tenants of truth to heart. Simple things like being in the moment, doing to others as you’d like done to you, turning the other cheek, being the change you want to see, being grateful, give thanks. You likely agree with the spiritual messages embedded in these truths. Notice how you choose to live by them.
Finding deeper meaning in life can be as simple as putting these ideas into practice. Experience things with your full senses, make your relationships count, notice what is special about your interconnectedness and look for the spiritual, soul perspective of life. You will be living with deeper meaning when you embrace these ideas in your daily life.
If this speaks to you and you’d like to explore it further, reach out. My Transformational Coaching and Therapy give you the tools to make your life more meaningful and congruent with who you are. Go to www.spectrumtransformation.com and use my Free Consultation form to reach me. I’d love to hear from you.
*GreenRoom Exchange www.Greenroomexchange.org
Photo – Fibonacci Series Sunflower by Lee Carroll
