Adding meaning promotes your happiness

Self-reflection is good, but you should not indulge in it. The question of happiness haunts us because at every stage of our lives, we hope to seek meaning in everything we do.

In an age, we are encouraged to daily evaluate our position in the world and how we feel about being it. The search for happiness not only becomes tedious, it also becomes discouraging. Thus, self-reflection becomes a forced part of our culture, compelling us to reevaluate our relationships, homes and lives ever so often.

Actively looking out for happiness only creates feelings of unhappiness. Psychologists have found that the more people value happiness, the more likely they will feel disappointed. Even when life changes for better, we still continue to feel hopeless and lonely.

Then, what is the solution to this problem? The solution, a study found, is not to pursue happiness, but meaning. People who pursue meaning end up being more positive in life, acquiring better attitudes for everything pleasing, from pleasurable relationships at home and at work to outright happiness in life.
 
While searching for meaning may be less a task as pining for happiness, experts say there are significant differences between them. Indeed, it is easier to establish meaning early in your life by following these steps:

One, controlling your perception of life. Often, when you sit down to reflect, you become unhappier, then you retreat and feel defeated.

But when you strive for meaning, you instead look beyond the current situation and look at the bigger picture. As life is filled with ups and downs, you get yourselves riled up by the bumps in between moments of happiness creating feelings of despair in your lives.

However, finding meaning in your life depends on whether you are happy at the moment or not, which allows you to find a solution that will keep you happy from time to time. That makes you look beyond the present, knowing fully well that how you feel now does not define your entire existence.

The second step is in finding things bigger than yourself. When you look at things bigger than you and what you know, you seek transcendence.

Transcendence isn’t anything spiritual; it is in allowing yourself transcend being self-centred by blending into a bigger reality.
 
Transcendence is experienced by the elation of belonging to a higher vision. It would then plunge you into reflection and self-awareness. You evoke transcendence by placing yourself in situations that juxtapose you and the world, allowing you to clearly experience a bigger reality other than your own.

Three, surround yourself with love. By so doing, you attain happiness. We often turn to the people around us for happiness, and with meaning, there wouldn’t be any difference.

While you might not be able to test yourself against the universe, there are ways to assure yourself of a sense well being through belonging to your family.
 
With friends and loved ones, and by surrounding yourself with people who love you, you are able to realise that your existence has meaning. Of course, this is different from being popular because of things you have or places you belong in.