The meaning of life nourishes harmony, coherence, and stability of being. Along with the joy of living, it is essential to maintain inner balance, which is fluctuating and sometimes fragile.
Meaning and joy in life are essential to mental health. Unfortunately, many people feel lost and struggle to find meaning and a logical direction in their lives. Their existence is disoriented by the turbulence they are experiencing.
What is a source of fulfillment?
Among the advice given here and there to find meaning in one’s existence and joy in living are often :
- define one’s life mission,
- to experience the present moment,
- Listen to your heart,
- live mindfully,
- understand and develop one’s potential, etc.
They suit some people, who take them in naturally. For others, these notions are too vague and abstract, far removed from everyday life.
The American association Pew Research asked participants questions about their lived experience:Â What does it mean to live a satisfying life? What aspects of your life do you currently find meaningful, fulfilling, and satisfying?
The priority responses—family, activities, health, material well-being, and friends—are very consistent, with no difference between men and women. With a few differences:
- Young people find meaning in their lives through education, learning something new, and through their friendships.
- The elderly by the opportunity to take care of their health and access retirement. It is a shame that their desire to learn is waning…
- In France and Belgium, nature is cited as a source of satisfaction and meaning.
- In Canada, too, but social life plays a big role.
What practical lessons can be learned from this?
How bringing family together helps find meaning and joy in life
With a few rare exceptions, family and children are the most cited sources of meaning and joy in the survey.
Not everyone is obligated to start a family. But the nature of family ties provides stability, solidarity, and many opportunities for celebration that structure life, whether regularly or during special reunions.
Have you ever had the pleasure of attending a family reunion, a large gathering of grandparents, parents, children, and cousins?  Have you ever looked for a family trip idea
Some grandparents are lucky enough to take their entire family on a small or large adventure, full of meaning and joy for everyone, which will remain in their memories for a long time. The journey of a lifetime!
Why does activity give a positive direction to daily life?
Through work, leisure, or travel, being active is a source of meaning and gratification.
Despite growing dissatisfaction, work provides a sense of fulfillment, linked to the mission, colleagues, and personal accomplishment. Work undeniably has meaning in life and is a source of pleasure (provided it meets the aspirations and values ​​of the person doing it). This is no longer always the case, hence the increasingly frequent search for meaning in this area.
Some people seek meaning and joy in the absence of work. For older people, retirement shouldn’t be without something to do. It’s the perfect time to pick up a long-neglected leisure activity, resume your studies, start volunteering, or explore the world.
Why are health and meaning in life linked?
Finding meaning and enthusiasm in life improves health: more serene people are inclined to take care of themselves and adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Next, being healthy, in a state of complete well-being and energy, reinforces the usefulness and interest in living. There’s a big difference between being full of life and surviving. Adopting preventive health care as early as possible is the best possible advice for maintaining vitality and longevity.
When it comes to health, the power of pets is incredible. It’s scientifically proven that nothing beats the affection of a four-legged companion to make everyday life more joyful and active.
What place should we give to material conditions about nature?
Material conditions play a role in the meaning of life.
Struggling to survive, living in an inhospitable environment, and suffering from a severe financial shortage are discouraging and exhausting living conditions. Living conditions are necessarily a foundation.
Then, some people will place material aspects at the heart of their quality of life. For others, a distance from the civilized world and consumer society is healthy and meaningful.
Just getting some fresh air in nature , admiring a landscape, preserving the environment, escaping the cities is essential to the pleasure of living. When everything is going wrong, exercising outside, exposing yourself to sunlight, gardening, getting some fresh air, refocuses on what is important for inner balance.
Why engage in friendships and social relationships?
People who suffer from loneliness sometimes report difficulty finding meaning and joy in life.
Which explains why getting involved in a community is pillar #5 of the study.
Having friends, belonging to a social group, is as important as family. Sometimes, they even replace the companionship and support of absent loved ones. They also open up space for growth, enriching one’s thoughts and assessment of the world.
Being in contact with others, having a sense of belonging, really helps you find your place and meaning in your life.
What is the link between the meaning of life, happiness, and the joy of living?
Seeking happiness and meaning in one’s life are two vital motivations.
The stronger the sense of meaning, the happier and more encouraged one feels to continue in the same direction. But sometimes, a person may find meaning in an aspect of their life that doesn’t bring them happiness or joy.
Austrian psychiatrist and author Viktor Frankl was able to transcend his terrible experience in the concentration camps. He understood how humans have a need and capacity to find meaning, no matter what .
Lack of meaning drives them to binge on pleasures, possessions, and power, to become bored, and to hate others. However, when they gain meaning in their lives, they gradually find the path to a desirable existence that reinforces their joy of living.
