How Meaning and Purpose Shape Fulfillment (Coaching Tips Inside)

Introduction:

This article introduces the concepts of meaning and purpose, and explains the ways in which they contribute to inner peace and fulfillment. It also provides insight on ways to create meaning, and how to coach clients to identify opportunities to discover meaning, purpose, community, and belonging in their own lives.

Purpose and Meaning Defined:

What is purpose?

The American Psychological Association defines purpose as “the reason for which something is done or for which something exists.” Purpose is the reason for our effort and struggle; it is our bigger why, our guiding light, that gives us direction and something to work toward.

Having a sense of purpose contributes to increased physical and mental health. Studies show that a sense of purpose is a protective factor against the risk of dementia and cardiovascular disease, as well as anxiety, adolescent depression, low self-esteem, loneliness, and suicide.

What is meaning?

The APA defines meaning as “the cognitive or emotional significance of something.” Things that are meaningful to us as humans contain significance, purpose or value. We derive meaning in life from the stories that we tell ourselves and each other about our existence.

Humans are meaning-makers; we need there to be a point to whatever it is we are experiencing. Meaning is the impact of all of the struggle and striving. In order to live, we must believe that we matter and that life, writ-large, matters.

How Meaning and Purpose Affect Inner Peace:

Meaning and purpose can bring peace even during our deepest suffering. We have to find what we are willing to suffer for. All growth involves stretching outside of our comfort zone, facing and overcoming challenges, and being uncomfortable, in aspiration of our goal. It requires maintaining our effort even when things feel hard, uncomfortable, or uncertain. Our “why” needs to matter more than our natural reflex to avoid experiencing discomfort. That “why” – meaning and purpose – enhances fulfillment and brings a sense of peace through challenges.

Psychologist Victor Frankl on Finding Meaning in Life:

Viktor Frankl was a world-renowned psychologist and neurologist who invented Logotherapy, a philosophy and type of therapy that helps people find meaning in their lives. Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, believed that the search for meaning is our primary motivation as humans. Logotherapy focuses on the meaning of human existence and helps people heal through finding and pursuing meaning in their own lives.

According to Frankl, we can discover meaning in life in three ways. The first is through creating either a work or deed related to achievement or accomplishment. The second method is experiencing something or encountering someone that sparks meaning: nature, culture, other humans’ experiences, etc. The third is the attitude we take towards experiencing suffering. That’s where our “why” comes in; it enhances fulfillment and brings a sense of peace through challenges.

The Role of Values in Fulfillment

Studies show when we operate with a conscious awareness of our values, we contribute to our well-being as we pursue our goals. When we don’t we contribute to our own stress and dissatisfaction. When our actions are not in harmony with our values, we experience cognitive dissonance, which makes us feel bad, guilty, or uneasy.

If we don’t know what our values are, it is common for us to make decisions or engage in situations that make us feel uncomfortable and uneasy without understanding why. When we know what our values are, we can use that information to inform our decisions about the people, places, and experiences we engage with so that we are more likely to experience the alignment that allows us to feel at peace. For more guidance on how to identify values for yourself or for an adolescent, check out our blog.

Coaching Considerations for Meaning, Purpose, and Fulfillment

As youth resilience, well-being, or health coaches, it is our job to support them as they work to identify purpose and meaning in their own lives.

We can coach to…

Explore:

• What could they do to create the impact they want to make?
• What could they experience that would give them a sense of meaning?
• How can they shift their attitude to provide a sense of meaning conducive to their goals?

Identify:

• What are their values, interests, attitudes, goals, and behaviors?
• What are the shared interests, values, behaviors, purposes, and goals I have with people in my environment (both online and offline)?
• What actions can I take to engage with like-minded people or communities?

Encourage:

• Who or what can support you as you forge new connections?
• How will your life change when you discover your sense of purpose?
• Why is it important for you to find meaning in your life?
• How will you feel after you have created a community of like-minded people who share your values and interests?

Interested in learning more about meaning, purpose, fulfillment, and coaching adolescents? Read more of our blogs and check out our Youth Coaching Certifications.