There is something special about a few people we meet in our lives. They have this energy and vibe that displays the enjoyment of life despite their circumstances. I am talking about people who don’t need coffee to kick start their morning. I am pretty sure they don’t push the snooze button three times like the rest of us. They seem to have an apparent reason to wake up, a place to be at, and a day to fill with purposeful tasks. As I write this article, I am thinking about few people I have met in different stages of my life.

A boy who used to spend hours writing children’s books while we were in college.
The guy who is a radiologist during the day and musician at night
A girl who risked everything to be a photographer
A mom of four kids who enjoys every little second with her kids, even when they drive her insane.

They hardly complain! Their energy is contagious; their love for life makes you question what is special about them? Well, the answer is THEY HAVE MEANING TO THEIR LIFE! Unlike most of us, they can give meaning to their sacrifices, sleepless nights, and Hard Work. Their purpose will make them get out of bed on a terrible day. We admire such people a lot, but we often forget to ask why they are different. The most common sources for meaning are Work, love, and courage, as Victor Frankl puts it. People who have satisfaction in one of these areas are the ones who get out of bed every morning without any excuse and own the day.

The Canadian clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson says that life is a lot harder than we think. Whether we admit it or not, life is not an easy ride. There will be trials and tribulations that we will face as long as we are alive. It is life’s purpose to test and challenge us. As we grow, the test we are given gets harder and harder. The only thing that pulls us through this is the meaning we give to our life. Our purpose and reason for the things we do is the psychological armor that protects us from discouragement and hopelessness.

Jordan Peterson further explains the importance of meaningful like this,
“Why do we do meaningful things? The answer is because life is suffering and ineradicable at its core, it will take you out. Make no mistake about it. You need to be armed with virtue for things not to turn into hell. The nobility of purpose is what saves us. If we have nobility of purpose, then you have something to set against suffering and malevolence.”

It is our “why” that pushes us to go more, even if we are on the verge of giving up. People do the unthinkable when they have enough reason to do it. I once heard a story about a mom who lifted a car to save her child. That is something an ordinary person cannot do on a regular day. Her love for her daughter gave her the supernatural strength to lift a thing as heavy as a car. It is the meaning of our life that determines our strength and perseverance.

I don’t believe we all have to have this superb vision to save the world; just a simple purpose can pull us through the darkness. We just have to find a reason to wake up excited each morning. Imagine two people running in the rain alongside each other. One is running to save his loved one’s life, and one is running just for pleasure. A no-brainer says the latter is more likely to stop than the former when the thunderstorm gets louder. That is why some people argue that it’s the pursuit of happiness that is luxury, not the pursuit of meaning. We go farther in life when we have something to go for and when we attach meaning to our struggles. It gives us the energy to take one more step when it seems impossible to do so.

Having meaning in life not only makes us see life differently, but it also makes us love ourselves more. We seek help when we feel we need it; we take care of ourselves more; we don’t get easily discouraged because we know that we can only fulfill our desire when we stay healthy and alive. We got to be there for our dream. Otherwise, the dream will die when the dreamer dies.

“He who has a why can bear anyhow.”- Fredrick Neichze

As Victor Frankl said it, it is our greatest task to find meaning in our life. It is such a great task because; it will connect us to the larger version of ourselves. In my opinion, the prerequisites for a meaningful life are authenticity, faith, self-love, and love for others. Therefore, the first step is to connect with who we are at our core. We need to be authentic, believers, and loving individuals. That journey to the inside is the same route to a meaningful life. Therefore, in finding meaning in life, we become much bigger, or in other words, in finding ourselves, we will create a bigger and meaningful life. To me, the journey is the same. Our self-extension is what serves others.

A meaningful life is all about living each moment with purpose. When the actions we take, the relationships we build, and the words we speak stem from a good intention, we can say we are on a meaningful life journey. Therefore what is important is to start where we are with what we have to discover who we can become. One last thing, It may not be an option to find meaning in life as we think; it may indeed be a necessity. Have you ever thought about that?

“Meaning is not optional. That is why it is such a deep instinct. Meaning is an instinct of life. When we say my life is meaningless, we are saying the spirit is out of us” – Jordan Peterson.