Happiness part V : Meaning

I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 1:14

Often as a kid I was asked "What do you want to be what you grow up?" As a child this question can often be as easy as a fireman so I can drive a shiny red truck. I never knew what I wanted though. I don't like committing to things for the fear I'll change my mind and people will see me as wish-washy and full of shit. It is an irrational fear. One of the many I have but, one I am becoming a little bit more comfortable in letting go.

I suppose one or two of you will remember my wonderful mini-series I began not too long ago on happiness. It is time to go ahead and finish what I started. My plans are to extend this last blog on Meaning into a two part series. Where I will discuss the pursuit of meaning in life in general terms then turn around in my second post and go ahead and tell you what I discovered to be at least a beginning for my pursuit of meaning in this sometimes seemingly meaningless world.

Examining the question itself "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I think you just may discover part of the problem so many people never find true meaning in life. The question is intrinsically wrapped up in the Ego. Who or what do you want to become? You never change you are always who you are. Yet, somehow this question gives us the feeling that when we finally become that person we are supposed to be we will be complete. Now lets say you want to be a famous writer or a successful business man when you grow up? Well what happens if you never write a best-selling novel or never rise above middle management only to laid off or forced into early retirement. Well the blow to your self esteem should be enough to allow you to crawl under a rock for the remainder of your years and somehow live a life where you do well enough to make it through by paying all the bills when they come due.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with making incredible or even seemingly unreachable goals as becoming a millionaire CEO or the next JK Rowling. (I do think most successful people do make these insane goals) When you allow your identity to be wrapped up in that goal. If you don't ever reach it you can never be happy. Ever. Your happiness is somehow trapped up in some nonexistent Future that may or may not ever fulfill you. The odds are when you do become that person you'll probably find that wasn't exactly what you were looking for in the first place. Happiness is here and now it isn't in some future identity you hope you will one day obtain.

So if we shouldn't try to strive and become someone better than we are. What are we striving for? Lately I have taken on when someone ask me what I am doing these days is to tell them I am doing some accounting work up at Georgia Tech. Never I am an Accountant. This comes easy to me cause I never saw myself as an Accountant. I have never had a goal to be an accountant so instead of defining myself as an Accountant it is a by -product of what I do.

I think in that statement I discovered something important about meaning in life. Finding a purpose in life is not about what you do. But rather what you want to produce in your life. What is it you want to leave behind? You can't leave your accountancy behind. But, you can leave many years of meticulous kept books that helped sustain a business that created jobs and happy lives for many. You can't leave you being a writer behind but, you can leave behind novels that spoke of your passion and can still touch whoever stumbles across it regardless of how famous you become.

Finding meaning in life is all about finding that general purpose. What do you want to produce? What do you want the fruits of your labor to be? That is the question I started asking myself. I think it is important at looking at the general purpose you will also find many ways in which you could implement it. If your goal is to inspire people artistically you can choose another medium maybe become a blogger or teach a literature class. If you want to help sustain successful business so other people can find meaningful jobs and support families. Maybe you start your own business or just settle for being an accountant or financier.

I think that is the important thing with finding meaning in life. Finding what you want to give back to the world, then finding the avenue that best suits you to provide it. Then strive to be the very best in that avenue you can possibly be. That way if an avenue shuts down. You no longer lose your sense of purpose or happiness. Instead you search for new avenues in which you can continue to spread your purpose to the world.