Creativity is more of a fundamental skill. It’s simply being able to use your imagination or your ideas in order to create something new. That could be in science, the arts, politics, business, education, and more. In fact, creativity can be found in all areas of life. You don’t have to be amazing at arts and crafts. You don’t need to play musical instruments. 
A creative genius is someone who manages to make new things or come up with new ideas frequently. They’ve mastered the skill and do it on repeat.

What it means to be a creative genius

<ol><li>You’re curious</li><li>You’re open-minded</li><li>You’re enthusiastic and positive</li><li>You can get deeply absorbed in a task</li><li>You practice divergent thinking…aka you think outside the box</li><li>You’re playful</li><li>You care more about the process than the outcome</li><li>You love to break from routine</li><li>You’re introspective</li><li>You’re a bit eccentric</li></ol>

10 signs that you’re a creative genius in the making

Einstein famously said:“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”Whilst arguably he was being fairly modest, this highlights an important feature that all creative geniuses enjoy:They share a fascination for learning.They genuinely like trying to understand new things and figure them out.If you enjoy reading, watching documentaries, or generally exploring the world around you — this natural intrigue is a sign of your creativity.

1) You’re curious

So if being hungry for knowledge is one vital ingredient, then staying open to whatever you may discover is the other side to that. It stands to reason that it’s difficult to develop creative solutions when you are closed off.That’s why the most creative people stay as open to new perspectives, ideas, and thoughts as possible. This enables them to see things from a different angle.You know what they say:There’s no such thing as an original idea.The reality is that all creative breakthroughs come from building upon what has gone before.

2) You’re open-minded

Having a positive outlook doesn’t just make you happier. It also makes you more productive.Studies have found that your mood can impact how hard you work. Research by Oxford University showed happy workers were 13% more productive. Meanwhile, other studies have concluded that people tend to be more creative when they feel intrinsically motivated.It’s almost like positivity acts as a natural source of fuel for creativity. And anecdotally, we know this to be true.When we come home tired, stressed, and in a terrible mood, it’s unlikely to be when we have all our best ideas.

3) You’re enthusiastic and positive

Have you heard of flow state?It’s when time flies and your concentration levels are effortlessly intent. Creative people have the ability to immerse themselves in an activity with great concentration levels and focus. Essentially, they can direct their energy in efficient ways.But here’s a very important part of it:They also know when and how to switch off.They are really good at self-regulating their energy levels. And that doesn’t mean always being switched on.They retreat, recharge, and rest often. They enjoy daydreaming and going within.

4) You can get deeply absorbed in a task

Divergent thinking is often referred to as lateral thinking.In a nutshell, it’s simply: “cognition that leads in various directions.”And being able to take many routes with your thinking has long been linked to creative problem-solving. The more thoughts and ideas we are capable of imagining, the greater our chances of coming up with new and creative solutions.You already engage in divergent thinking when you do activities like journaling, free writing, brainstorming, or improvisation games.

5) You practice divergent thinking…aka you think outside the box

As children, we learn through play. It helps us to become more inventive.The same goes for adults too.Play is another thing that can encourage us to be more divergent in our thinking. That might be playing board games, doing puzzles, or doing brain teasers.Having a playful approach to life is significant for another very important reason:It takes the pressure off.We can explore without consequence. Rather than the outcome feeling so serious, it becomes experimental.And this is significant if we are going to dare to try out new things, regardless of how they might turn out.

6) You’re playful

Life can create a lot of pressure on us to succeed.We want to get good grades, win that promotion, and make enough money to take care of ourselves and our families.So it’s understandable that this creates tension. But in the process, we often focus far more on the outcome than the process.We’ve all heard those stories where someone’s dreams came true simply from turning a passion or hobby into a money-making enterprise.Perhaps this is the reason why:They were able to nurture their passion and creativity as they were less rigidly focused on the outcome.

7) You care more about the process than the outcome

Routine can be a wonderful thing. It often helps our lives to run more smoothly.Structure can also help us to feel safer and more in control, which we tend to prefer as it’s hardwired into our nature.Creative geniuses are far better at embracing chaos. And rather paradoxically, they are often better at creating order within that chaos.If you always do things a certain way, there isn’t room to entertain a new possibility of doing things.

8) You love to break from routine

Evaluation and critical thinking are significant in creativity.That’s why creative geniuses can spend a lot of time deep in thought.They not only examine the external world but also their own internal world.This allowed them to gain greater self-awareness and to stay grounded.Yet on the flip side, as explained in Quartz:“In openly and boldly confronting themselves and the world, creative-minded people seemed to find an unusual synthesis between healthy and “pathological” behaviors.”

9) You’re introspective

When we think of creative geniuses we notice something that they often have in common:They have certain oddities that would be considered strange.Famous artist Michelangelo would rarely take his boots off, insisting on even sleeping in them.Wartime British prime minister Winston Churchill apparently enjoyed walking around his office naked.American inventor Nikola Tesla was a germaphobe who had OCD and was overly enamored with the number three.So-called cognitive disinhibition may be responsible for plenty of light bulb moments. So embrace your oddities as just another sign of your creativity.

10) You’re a bit eccentric

It’s a myth that all creative geniuses are simply born that way. Any natural talents and abilities are nurtured through habits that allow them to blossom. There’s a good chance that you already exhibit many of these. Perhaps you too are a creative genius in the making. Let's find out!

writing

Reading & Writing

problemsolving

Problem Solving

creativity

Creativity

meditation

Meditation

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

10 signs that you're a creative genius in the making

I’m so done living within the confines of my comfort zone. It doesn’t matter what anybody thinks of me, it doesn’t matter what they will say about me, and it doesn’t matter what they tell me I should be doing. None of them really matter to me now, because I have come to realize that my inner voice should be louder than these voices outside of me. I now know that these voices I tend to hear and listen to only show me the contrast to what my inner being knows or could amplify what my inner being tells me to do.

Getting Out Of Our Comfort Zones

I know that I am the only person who knows what is the best for me because my intuition and my heart knows where I should go and what I should do.Our life is our own responsibility. We should be the ones making decisions for ourselves, not others. We should be the ones taking control of our lives, not others. We should be the ones creating and designing our lives the way we want to. We must take the wheel and confidently sit on the driver’s seat of our lives and go where we’re headed.

Take Control

I now know that these voices I tend to hear and listen to only show me the contrast to what my inner being knows or could amplify what my inner being tells me to do. I know that I am the only person who knows what is the best for me because my intuition and my heart knows where I should go and what I should do.

Amplify Your Inner Voice

Yes, we are not always on the right path as we may stumble upon inevitable storms and shit as we take on our journey in life. Yes, life is not always rainbows and sunshine as there will be times we get hurt by others or we hurt others unintentionally (or intentionally). Yes, we sometimes tend to break glasses when doing things again and again and only end up bleeding ourselves and other people after. However, that’s where and when the best life lessons are being learned.

Pain Is Part Of The Process

The broken glasses can no longer be fixed but the cracks can now be the doorways to our soul where the light can shine through more.

Life is way beautiful if we care more about what makes us happy than caring about what others could say and think about us for not keeping up with the standards set by society. I am confident to say all these things because I now have realized that these people didn’t live even half a second of our lives, hence, they know nothing about every single experience that shaped us into becoming who and what we are today.

Focus On What Makes You Happy

Life isn’t supposed to be perfect, don’t strive for it, as mistakes are inevitable. And taking risks or doing what we feel like doing isn’t supposed to be avoided, go take risks, as its consequences could either be negative, but will serve as our teacher for us to become better, or could be positive that will make us thank ourselves after.

Experience Life And Get The Best Of It

Shit happens, yes, but shit happens so that a shift can happen.

I am speaking for everyone. It's about time for us to live our lives authentically and unapologetically. 

I’m so done living within the confines of my comfort zone. It doesn’t matter what anybody thinks of me, it doesn’t matter what they will say about me, and it doesn’t matter what they tell me I should…

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

philosophy

Philosophy

mindfulness

Mindfulness

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

mentalhealth

Mental Health

I’m so done living within the confines of my comfort zone.

It seems that the most terrifying belief for a distorted mind is to accept the true self completely. This will go against the mind's need to keep creating false realities of fear, survival and isolation that people have to accept as their true, constant and unaltered state. There is an obvious schism between the busy mind and the powerful light within our being that focuses on growth, transformation, truth and effortless abundance.

Dumping My Thoughts 

As we begin to love ourselves we found that anguish and suffering are only signs that we are releasing the schisms and creating bridges uniting our whole being with the light.

When we love ourselves, bringing true healing, we can see that everything that surrounds us supports us to grow and we crave not a limited reality.

Dumping Mybtho

Today, I only create what brings me inner joy, happiness and fulfillment. I create what I love to do and this nourishes my whole being. I follow the effortless flow of life. My creation effortlessly leads me to the greatness of my path.

Dumping My Thoughts

I am an irresistible magnet for miracles & I am safe to be authentically myself✨

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

Deeper truths

When you think of Gen Z, perhaps the image that comes to mind is a tween hovering over a computer, online shopping, scrolling, posting and commenting. It’s difﬁcult to look at Gen Z and not conﬁne us to these stereotypes. We are the ﬁrst generation to not know a world without the internet. I remember my ﬁrst introduction to it—I was around six, I played Barbie.com games to pass the time and watched pirated episodes of Sailor Moon (thanks sis). Today, I’m on my laptop 24/7, and I cannot remember a life without screens or technology.

To older generations, we are slaves to this blue light. When our elders see us on our phones, they accuse us of being obsessed with our Snapchat stories and K-pop idols, of being pornography addicts and gaming junkies. They say we’ve destroyed the nature of relationships and traditions outside of the internet. I can’t say this is entirely false. In reality, some of us do lurk in forums occupied by Neo-Nazis or flat-earthers, and some of us do place inherent value on the number of followers we have or the likes we get on Instagram.

But this stereotypical image of Gen Z is incompatible with the majority of us. In many ways, technology has become a mascot for Gen Z. In truth, we use technology as a source to keep us informed and to connect with the rest of the world.

The internet has provided us channels to express our creative identities; platforms like Medium allow us to publish our work without the need for an editor or the months-long acceptance or rejection process associated with conventional media. There’s a global audience on Medium, and if your piece goes viral, it could be a career tipping point. We’ve also used the internet to advance our causes: when students held strikes against climate change, they Instagrammed it, tweeted it and made sure to use the respective hashtags.

The climate strikes trended on social media and quickly became headlines in newspapers. Soon, our mandate became impossible to ignore. For older generations who must feel left behind in the golden age of tech advancement, the motives that drive tech use are often unseen. Only clichéd ideas of technology-obsessed teens are perpetuated, and the assumption that technology is being frivolously used becomes all-pervasive.

When you focus on such stereotypes, it’s easy to presume that we are not engaged in significant struggles or sacrifices of our own. But the similarities between generations extend far beyond issues of technology, and it may be more meaningful to consider the ways that the generations are similar.

The way forward is not to focus on the rivalry between generations. It has to do with understanding and moving beyond the stereotypes which divide and demonize us. Moving past such views can allow us to see each other as resources and move towards improvement and resolution of our shared concerns—to create an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future that is equitable, inclusive and committed to the integrity of all.

Jenniffer Meng: When other generations see students expressing discontent with budget cuts to education or raising awareness about rising temperatures, I wonder, do they not see what we are ﬁghting for?

technologyandthefuture

Technology & The Future

communication

Communication

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

'Don't you see yourself in us?': What it means to be Gen Z - Macleans.ca

Let Go of Who You think You're Supposed to be and Embrace Who You Are

The Gifts of Imperfection offers an accessible and engaging walk through the ten principles that you can follow to live a more fulfilling life, defined by courage, connection and compassion towards others. Filled with relatable anecdotes and actionable advice, the book is a useful resource for readers both young and old.

What Is This Book About 

•Anyone who wants to live a more meaningful life•Anyone who has a great idea, but is afraid to share it with the world•Anyone troubled by feelings of inadequacy and vulnerability

Who Is This For 

Learn how to live a more fulfilling life by being true to yourself.What would you say is your biggest flaw?Perhaps you're an inveterate procrastinator. Maybe you feel like you've failed as a parent. Whatever it might be, you're not alone. We all have our flaws and foibles. It's how we deal with them that matters. In her research on shame and its effects on the human mind, author Brené Brown has gathered thousands of stories from people around the US.

From the stories, a powerful pattern has emerged: Those who find ways to embrace their imperfections, lead happier, more fulfilled lives than those who don't. While being aware of your flaws is an important first step, it's not enough. The true transfomative power lies in learning to love yourself.

<ul><li>why everything looks better when you zoom out;</li><li>why you should devote a decent portion of your life to play; and</li><li>why you should define yourself with slashes.</li></ul>

What You'll Learn 

Authenticity is a choice that requires courage, compassion and connection.Most people would like to live a life that is true to who they are; in other words, we'd like to be as authentic as possible.Unfortunately, a handful of factors stand in the way: for example, a lack of self-confidence or pressure to conform. As a result, we feel we are inauthentic people, too weak to live honestly.But this is simply untrue!

Authenticity 

Authenticity isn't a quality that you either have or don't. Rather, it's a choice, one that reflects how we want to live. It's the daily decision to be honest, embrace our vulnerability and to not care what others think.And because it’s a choice, we thus have the option to be authentic on some days and less authentic on those other days when we’re too tired.If you do, however, choose to act with more authenticity, then you’ll need to practice courage and compassion.

You’ll need the courage to speak your mind and allow yourself to be vulnerable in front of others. To look at this in practice, think about the next time you really want something to happen, like winning a contest or nailing an interview. Try not to play down your hopes in these situations. Acting like failure is no big deal won’t make the pain of failure any easier. In contrast, being honest about your hopes makes it possible for you to find support when you need it.

Furthermore, exercising compassion allows you to recognize that you aren’t alone, and that, in fact, everyone around you struggles with the exact same issues as you.Compassion, in contrast with sympathy, is a relationship between equals: in order to relate to the struggles of others, you have to acknowledge your own, as well. By understanding that everyone around you has likely gone through what you’re going through now, you’ll have an easier time opening up to them and finding support.

Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day.

Are you a perfectionist? If you are, do you consider it to be a positive quality?Perfectionism, despite maybe sounding positive, isn't worth pursuing. It's different thanstriving to be your best, and is unrelated to self-improvement. Rather, it revolves around the fundamental fear of shame.Perfectionism, in short, is the belief that, if we look perfect and live and act perfectly, then we'll be able to shield ourselves from criticism, judgment or blame. This shield, in otherwords, is supposed to protect us against shame.

Fear Of Shame Hides Behind Of Perfectionism

However, life as a perfectionist is emotionally unhealthy, because it makes our own self-worth dependent on approval or acceptance from others. Not only is perfectionism unhealthy, but it's also addictive and self-destructive. In fact, perfectionism is futile, as perfection itself is illusory!

While there are things that are simply outside of your control, there are lots of actionable steps you can take to seize control and feel better. 

health

Health

productivity

Productivity

How to Feel Better About Yourself

It is only when we begin to recognize that our true human potential goes far beyond leading successful personal and professional lives, that we realize the enormous importance of Kundalini awakening. Very few people realize that it is possible to live constantly in a state of totally expanded awareness and joy which we achieve when we become one with the Divine. It is only when Kundalini is awakened that we can begin to experience the infinite freedom of a human being.
-Baba Muktananada

"A guide to help readers embrace imperfection and vulnerability so they can live authentically; presents ten guideposts for wholehearted living" --

books

Books

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This tenth-anniversary edition of the game-changing #1 New York Times bestseller features a new foreword and new tools to make the work your own. For over a decade, Brené Brown has found a special place in our hearts as a gifted mapmaker and a fellow traveler. She is both a social scientist and a kitchen-table friend whom you can always count on to tell the truth, make you laugh, and, on occasion, cry with you. And what’s now become a movement all started with The Gifts of Imperfection, which has sold more than two million copies in thirty-five different languages across the globe. What transforms this book from words on a page to effective daily practices are the ten guideposts to wholehearted living. The guideposts not only help us understand the practices that will allow us to change our lives and families, they also walk us through the unattainable and sabotaging expectations that get in the way. Brené writes, “This book is an invitation to join a wholehearted revolution. A small, quiet, grassroots movement that starts with each of us saying, ‘My story matters because I matter.’ Revolution might sound a little dramatic, but in this world, choosing authenticity and worthiness is an absolute act of resistance.”

Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation – Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work. Brené is also a visiting professor in management at The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. She has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy and is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers: The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, and her latest book, Dare to Lead.Brené hosts the Unlocking Us Podcast and the Dare to Lead Podcast. Her TED talk – The Power of Vulnerability – is one of the top five most viewed TED talks in the world with over 50 million views.

Brené Brown

The Gifts of Imperfection

“The lack of boundaries can make people feel powerless and hopeless.”

Anxiety and depression are just some of the mental issues or concerns that arise when boundaries are not present in relationships, thus, setting boundaries with friends, family, and partners can actually help strengthen those relationships.

Setting boundaries Protects You From HARMFUL EXPERIENCES

People want to feel seen and being unable to have your needs met equates to you not being seen in relationships. Setting boundaries means knowing your own limits about what you will and won’t tolerate. This is important because it is the first step in protecting yourself from experiences that would be harmful to you if you allowed them.

Why Setting Boundaries is Healthy and Impo

Telling people what you need can also lead to increased feelings of empowerment and control over your own life experience.

Why Setting Boundaries is Empowering 

“It’s okay if you text me, but I can’t respond until after work.”“I just need 30 minutes to complete this task, and then we can talk.”“I know I said I was available tonight, but I think I do need a quiet night at home.”But...if you're still hesitant on speaking up to set your boundaries clear, use the 3 Tips for Setting Boundaries in your Daily Life

So Don't Feel Guilty When You Want To Say...

<ol><li>Unlearn self-neglect</li><li>Think about time as “finite”</li><li>Use ‘I’ statements</li></ol>

3 Tips for Setting Boundaries in Your Daily life

Taking care of your own needs before or in tandem with those of your loved ones can often be painted as “selfish,” but it’s not.Self-neglect is not a way to show how much you care for others. In relationships, both parties can choose what they want and need.Unlearn that you shouldn’t have boundaries.Start to tell yourself that you deserve to have preferences as this can be a helpful step toward speaking your needs and desires.

Unlearn Self-neglect

Saying “yes” to everything a boss, friend, family member, or even partner asks you to do leaves very little energy for you to pursue what makes you happy.Boundaries around how you spend your time and allow others to use it are essential. Thinking about time as finite, not infinite, can make people more aware of how important and impactful their time is.

Think About Time as “FINITE”

Keep it clear and concise without overexplaining yourself. Your boundaries are about you. Communicate in ‘I’ statements instead of ‘you’ statements. And instead of explaining the problem, focus on what you need as that is what boundary is all about.For example, instead of telling a friend not to talk about a specific topic in front of you, communicate that it’s unhealthy for you to participate in conversations about that topic.Healthy boundaries are not saying, ’you can’t talk to me that way', it is rather saying, ‘if you talk to me that way I will remove myself from this conversation.

Use ‘I’ statements

It’s important to keep in mind that not everyone will respect your boundaries even if communicated compassionately. It is important to accept that anyone who is angered by your boundaries might be "toxic" in your life, so it's important for you to rethink to what capacity you want them in your life.

If There Are Lines You’ve Drawn that are Crossed

"People will either come to understand that being in a relationship with you requires a certain level of respectful behavior from them, or those relationships will end and you’ll have space in your life for healthier ones."

If you have trouble setting boundaries in your life, there are ways to talk to yourself and others that might ease the process. These 3 tips might be helpful to you in setting boundaries for yourself and to make all your relationships with others healthy.

If you have trouble setting boundaries in your life, there are ways to talk to yourself and others that might make it easier. 

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

Setting boundaries in your daily life can protect you from 'harmful experiences': Here are 3 tips to get you started

Belonging. It’s the archetypal experience we all seek. When it’s not there, we know that it’s missing, and when we feel it, we really feel it.But what actually is belonging? And how does it relate to HR buzzwords that have all had a massive uptick in recent years: diversity and inclusion?Belonging is an experience that can only happen however, if organisations have both diversity and inclusion. If there’s diversity in the workplace and there are inclusive behaviors, then it’s likely you’ll feel belonging in that workplace

If you really want to create belonging, consider these four key approaches to establishing diversity and inclusion in your workplace:<ol><li>Work to build a Diverse Team</li><li>Help to Ensure Team Cohesion</li><li>Dismantle Structures that Distribute Power </li><li>Model Up-stander, Ally and Accomplice Behaviors</li></ol>

Four Key Approaches to Establishing Diversity and Inclusion

As a leader, your unconscious biases may cause you to build a team in your own likeness. Resist the temptation to surround yourself with others who have similar skills, backgrounds and experiences to your own. Focus on “culture add” rather than “culture fit” when hiring. Difference is strength, and an acceptance of difference opens up avenues towards belonging and inclusion.

1) Work to build a diverse team

It’s been shown time and again that teams of diverse individuals are smarter than homogenous teams. This goes beyond skills or experience, but extends to diversity in sex, gender, ethnicity, race, ability, sexuality, socioeconomic backgrounds, age, religion and so on.

The connectedness felt amongst team members and the psychological safety that comes from that connectedness supports a sense of belonging. Team cohesion comes from having goal clarity, role clarity and decision-making clarity.

2) Help to ensure team cohesion

This involves establishing at the outset, why the team exists, what defines its measures of success and how it intends to work together to pursue those measures (goal clarity). It acknowledges the personal attributes each person brings to the team and what each person needs from others on the team in pursuit of their role (role clarity). And it ascertains what decisions a team member can make independently versus in collaboration (decision-making clarity). Establishing these parameters allows everyone to know their place and everyone else’s place, and allows everyone to feel included.

At a minimum, inclusive practices should involve training in understanding and exploring unconscious bias. But it needs to go further. As an HR leader, invite your employees (not just management level), into learning spaces that facilitate dialogue and education about the experience of minority and oppressed communities inside and outside of the workplace. Behavior matters. Workplace micro-aggressions are a fact in most organizations.

3) Dismantle structures that distribute power

Help your employees call in and process these occurrences by creating “safe rooms” where the delicate (and oftentimes messy), conversations that are necessary for processing the harm inflicted can take place. Consider bringing in a facilitator for the conversations.

Organizational leaders need to learn how to help team members go from being bystanders to up-standers, and create allies and accomplices A bystander is a well-intended onlooker who hears or witnesses micro-aggressions but doesn’t do anything about it, such as listening to a co-worker’s joke about gay people in front of a gay team member. They don’t join in, but they also don’t challenge it. An up-stander, on the other hand, calls people out on their micro-aggressions.

4) Model up-stander, ally and accomplice behaviors

An ally actively works at inviting other people into the conversation. A straight ally, for example, would invite a queer person into a forum where decisions are made. An accomplice is a person from a non-marginalized group who uses their unearned privilege to dismantle the structures and systems that oppress individuals or groups. Model these behaviors to demonstrate what you expect from others.

While you must have diversity to have inclusion, you must have inclusion to have belonging. When you facilitate diversity in hiring practices and instill inclusive policies, procedures and behaviors, your organization has its best chance of creating a culture that supports a sense of belonging for everyone.

Taking these in more detail, diversity is the fact that when one looks around one can note whether you’re among people who are, and are not like you. Inclusion, meanwhile, is a set of behaviors, frameworks or approaches whereby you’re able to leverage a diverse workforce by ensuring that the diversity is being utilized, invited and welcomed. It ensures that people with historically disempowered identities have an equitable seat at the table.

corporateculture

Corporate Culture

teamwork

Teamwork

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

Why you need diversity and inclusion to create 'belonging' - TLNT

It's easy to go through life with a general feeling of “blah." Repetitive work and not enough social contact can make anyone's daily humdrum feel shallow and devoid of meaning.Little do we realize that nowadays, we tend to isolate ourselves in our work and look inward rather than outward to try and find meaning.

you will learn about The Four Pillars Of Meaning and why they're important . Purpose in creating these Stashes: ✓ to help people honor the Four Pillars of Meaning to live a fulfilling life✓ to help people discover themselves deeply✓ to help people maintain a constant communication with their loved ones & others, search for their purpose in life, relate with other people's storytellings, and engage in transcendence

After Reading These Stashes...

Having a meaningful life is far more fulfilling than having a happy one.

In order to start your journey toward living a more meaningful life, you should maintain these four pillars of meaning: belonging, purpose, storytelling and transcendence. These categories constantly reemerge whenever people describe what makes their lives meaningful.It has been argued that meaning arises from belonging, having a purpose related to contributing to something larger, making sense of the world and your experiences and connecting with something greater than yourself.By keeping these four pillars in mind, meaning can be discovered in both fresh and unexpected places.

Focus On The Four Pillars Of Meaning

The last time you went out for dinner, were people busy texting and Instagramming on their phones? If the answer is yes, that's no surprise - people are so preoccupied with technology nowadays that they've forgotten the importance of connecting with those around them.Individualism contradicts our NEED TO BELONG since having a sense of belonging is essential to human life.The rise in individualism and isolation seems to be a major contributing factor as to why many people feel that they have a lack of meaning in their lives.

First Pillar: Sense Of BELONGING

Fundamentally, it's a human need to feel a sense of belonging either in relation to another person or a community. However, in modern society, many people live very isolated lives.Back in 1945, the psychoanalyst René Spitz found that mortality rates in orphanages were unusually high because, ironically, children were often deprived of human contact in order to prevent the spread of germs and diseases. Through his research into the matter, Spitz was the first to identify that a lack of belonging can result in death.

Modern-day researchers have discovered the scientific reasoning behind this: chronic loneliness can compromise the immune system, which can lead to premature death.That's why it's so important to honor belonging, the first pillar of meaning. Surveys often conclude that people consider close relationships to be critical sources of meaning, and research often shows that those who are lonely consider their lives less meaningful.

By focusing on your relationships with others, you can begin to make your life more meaningful. This doesn't only apply to intimate or profound relationships. Even the relationship that's formed when you smile at a stranger on the street is vital to fostering a wider sense of belonging in society.So, to find meaning in your life, try to reach out and connect with others around you.

Purpose is found through self-reflection and helping others.Have you ever considered what your purpose in life is? Before you panic about the gravity of such a question, you should realize that purpose as a concept doesn't need to be so intense.When you think about your purpose, simply consider it to be the strengths and opportunities that you possess, with which you can help others.The developmental psychologist William Damon believes that your purpose should be a far-reaching goal that involves some kind of contribution to the wider world.

Second Pillar: PURPOSE

Don't worry - this doesn't mean that to have a purpose you have to attend every activist event in your city. As long as you have a goal and a make a meaningful contribution, you could live purposefully as a zookeeper or a parent.Zookeepers, for instance, feel that they have a duty to fulfill by helping animals live better lives; therefore, they have a purpose and consider their lives to be meaningful. An individual with a sense of purpose isn't concerned with personal benefits, but cares more about how to benefit others.So, by making your work about helping others, you'll discover a purpose.

A survey involving 2 million participants found that those who considered their jobs to be meaningful were involved in careers such as English teachers, radiation therapists, school administrators and other roles that involved serving others.If your job doesn't directly involve serving others, you don't have to drastically change your career. Instead, focus on the ways in which your work affects other people. In other words, switching your focus to how your work affects others can give your job more purpose, and thus make your life more meaningful

Through storytelling, we create coherence and fresh interpretations.You may think of yourself as a more reserved person who doesn't really enjoy being the center of attention in conversations. But guess what: You're still a natural storyteller. In fact, everyone's a storyteller - each person crafts their own life story.As such, storytelling is the third pillar of meaning: it refers to the way people create stories from their own different life experiences. Humans feel compelled to tell stories, as this is how people make sense of the world.

Third Pillar: STORYTELLING

Individuals create meaning from telling their life stories to other people in a certain way. Psychologist Dan McAdam has been studying the concept of life stories and meaning for over 30 years. He believes that a person's narrative identity, or the story that they create about themselves, is constructed by focusing on the most significant events that have taken place in their life and interpreting them in numerous ways. From his research, McAdam found that those who tell redemptive stories about their lives, or stories that transition from bad to good, often tend to live more meaningful lives.

In order to generate meaning through storytelling, it's best to reflect on how an important event has shaped who you are and the course of your life. The process of doing so is what academics refer to as counterfactual thinking. This is when you engage in “what-if" questions such as, "what if I hadn't gone to college?"Research has shown that counterfactual thinking can make people appreciate the benefits of the path they have taken, as they're forced to think about how their lives would've panned out had that pivotal event not happened.

"Stories help us make sense of the world and our place in it, and understand why things happen the way they do."

Have you ever looked up at the stars at night and realized that you are just a tiny part of a large whole? Well, then you've experienced transcendence.Transcendence can help dissolve the barriers between yourself and the world around you.This is the fourth pillar of meaning, and it's all about experiencing a higher reality in which everything is interconnected.

Fourth Pillar: TRANSCENDENCE

Psychologist William James describes the mystical experience of transcendence as being uncontrollable, lasting no more than a few hours and not entirely possible to put into words. But transcendence has the power to reveal truths that will remain with you.Another psychologist, David Yaden, believes that during transcendent states, a person feels connected to everything that surrounds them. It is in this moment that a person loses any sense of anxiety, feels complete peace and optimal well-being and derives meaning in life.

When you're in a transcendent state of mind, the barriers between yourself and the wider world around you dissolve. Oddly, you experience a paradox in which you feel connected to a higher power but also feel extremely insignificant at the same time.This self-loss, as it were, is sometimes called ego-death and it's a means of mentally preparing an individual for the final loss of self, which is death.For most people, the thought of death is a terrifying prospect. But for the individuals who have already experienced ego-death, death now seems like a new beginning.

Buddhists tend to illustrate this outlook on death with the example of a cloud. If you think about the life cycle of a cloud, it doesn't perish when it disappears from the sky. The cloud simply changes shape into rain, which transforms into grass, and grass into cows and milk, and then the milk into the ice cream we eat.Transcendence serves the purpose of making people feel that everything is interconnected and that they will always exist in the universe in one form or another. It is a state of mind that gives meaning to life.

You don't have to travel the world, end world hunger or quit your job to live a meaningful life. You can find fulfillment by guiding your everyday life in accordance with the four pillars of meaning: belonging, purpose, storytelling and transcendence.

In a culture obsessed with happiness, this wise, stirring book points the way toward a richer, more satisfying life. Too many of us believe that the search for meaning is an esoteric pursuit—that you have to travel to a distant monastery or page through dusty volumes to discover life’s secrets. The truth is, there are untapped sources of meaning all around us—right here, right now. To explore how we can craft lives of meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith synthesizes a kaleidoscopic array of sources—from psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists to figures in literature and history such as George Eliot, Viktor Frankl, Aristotle, and the Buddha. Drawing on this research, Smith shows us how cultivating connections to others, identifying and working toward a purpose, telling stories about our place in the world, and seeking out mystery can immeasurably deepen our lives. To bring what she calls the four pillars of meaning to life, Smith visits a tight-knit fishing village in the Chesapeake Bay, stargazes in West Texas, attends a dinner where young people gather to share their experiences of profound loss, and more. She also introduces us to compelling seekers of meaning—from the drug kingpin who finds his purpose in helping people get fit to the artist who draws on her Hindu upbringing to create arresting photographs. And she explores how we might begin to build a culture that leaves space for introspection and awe, cultivates a sense of community, and imbues our lives with meaning. Inspiring and story-driven, The Power of Meaning will strike a profound chord in anyone seeking a life that matters.

In a culture obsessed with happiness, this wise, stirring book points the way toward a richer, more satisfying life. Too many of us believe that the search for meaning is an esoteric pursuit—that you have to travel to a distant monastery or page through dusty volumes to discover life’s secrets. The truth is, there are untapped sources of meaning all around us—right here, right now. To explore how we can craft lives of meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith synthesizes a kaleidoscopic array of sources—from psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists to figures in literature and history such as George Eliot, Viktor Frankl, Aristotle, and the Buddha. Drawing on this research, Smith shows us how cultivating connections to others, identifying and working toward a purpose, telling stories about our place in the world, and seeking out mystery can immeasurably deepen our lives. To bring what she calls the four pillars of meaning to life, Smith visits a tight-knit fishing village in the Chesapeake Bay, stargazes in West Texas, attends a dinner where young people gather to share their experiences of profound loss, and more. She also introduces us to compelling seekers of meaning—from the drug kingpin who finds his purpose in helping people get fit to the artist who draws on her Hindu upbringing to create arresting photographs. And she explores how we might begin to build a culture that leaves space for introspection and awe, cultivates a sense of community, and imbues our lives with meaning. Inspiring and story-driven, The Power of Meaning will strike a profound chord in anyone seeking a life that matters.

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