“Ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for.” – Viktor E. Frankl

It seems as if everyone is searching for their purpose in today’s world. Though, with so many conflicting messages being constantly presented to us, it can be confusing to know who we are, what to connect with, and what we’re meant to do.

When we are able to connect with a sense of purpose it adds significant value to life.

Research has revealed that a sense of purpose is actually related to increased psychological well-being and can help people recover from and cope with stressful life events.

If you are looking for more life-satisfaction and clearer direction for your future consider the ideas below.

How to find purpose

Developing and growing spiritually has been shown to relate to a sense of life-purpose. Research has shown that people who rated their level of spirituality higher tended to have a greater sense of purpose.

Spirituality gets us in touch with something greater than ourselves and opens our eyes to why we’re here and what we’re meant to do.

Engaging in passionate pursuits is another effective way to feel a sense of purpose. When we have something important and enlivening to work towards, we will be more engaged and fulfilled by life’s pursuits.

Consider what you love to do and what you feel good about. Begin developing goals you can work toward based on these pursuits.

Uncovering your values and what’s most important to you will help you find a sense of purpose. Uncovering our values gives us a sense of direction and helps us live more intentionally. It helps us have more integrity and aligns what we do with what we believe in.

Values can be based on different domains of your life, such as: relationships, career, spirituality, family, and finances, or on more personal characteristics, like trust, reliability, humor, or courage. What do you value?

Feeling a sense of purpose can ultimately increase our psychological well-being. If you’re struggling with a sense of life purpose, discover what you value and what you’re passionate about, and grow your spirituality and connection to something greater than yourself.

Photo credit: Lel4nd

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    Last reviewed: 20 Jun 2011