Questions about life, values, meaning. (soul, church, quote, faith)
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All this has been on my mind. And I think ... on other people's minds, people that I know or even strangers. I can hear their conversations, read it in e-mails etc. These people want to more clearly define their purpose.
The questions are:
What are your values?
What do you hold dear?
What are your vital priorities?
How can you use these priorities to design a more meaningful life? A more happy and fulfilling life.
All this has been on my mind. And I think ... on other people's minds, people that I know or even strangers. I can hear their conversations, read it in e-mails etc. These people want to more clearly define their purpose.
The questions are:
What are your values?
What do you hold dear?
What are your vital priorities?
How can you use these priorities to design a more meaningful life? A more happy and fulfilling life.
Thanks.
security
children
freedom
life happens. it cannot be designed.
All this has been on my mind. And I think ... on other people's minds, people that I know or even strangers. I can hear their conversations, read it in e-mails etc. These people want to more clearly define their purpose.
The questions are:
What are your values?
What do you hold dear?
What are your vital priorities?
How can you use these priorities to design a more meaningful life? A more happy and fulfilling life.
Thanks.
There is no way I could answer your questions in the space of a post here and not badly fall short of all I think it would take to provide a proper thorough thoughtful answer, but I commend you on this thread and your questions.
My values are many, and I hold so many things very dear, I'm not sure where I would begin, but before making any kind of attempt, I am curious why you think these questions have been on your mind or the mind of others? How old are you? Are these questions that have recently come to mind for you? Are you suggesting these are new questions or a "sign of the times?"
I've noticed these questions being on the minds of many people in my life. People that I encounter, relatives, neighbors, even here online. Because of the times that we are living in, I presume, yes. Inflation, turmoil, rapid changes, politics, values, discord, war, children's education, etc. It appears to be a lot of confusion everywhere.
I started having questions like this many years ago, as a young adult (20 something). I'm a middle aged woman.
security
children
freedom
life happens. it cannot be designed.
Thanks for your response.
I think it can be helped towards happiness, using certain tools (making certain decisions based on certain values etc). In this sense I wrote the word "design". Maybe it was not clear enough.
A brother monk in my church talked about all this. Since it all resonated with me and others, I wanted to open this subject here, just to see how other people respond to these questions.
I genuinely would like to know your answers. I'm curious how/if people from different cultures have different values, priorities.
As I consider your questions and comments, and how I have been traveling through life so far, perhaps it's best to keep it simple...
Upon reflecting on my own values, priorities and all I hold dear, I think I've just been living my life in a "one day at a time" sort of way. I've done my best to surround myself with good family and friends, and before any of that was up to me, I was fortunate to be born into a good, loving family. I've always just tried to make the most of those blessings, and to foster them in all ways possible. With my wife and two children (now independent adults), most directly. Then as well with extended family, friends and other people who enter my life, as best I've been able. That effort and those results are all very valuable and important to me. Though not always as successful as I would like.
What priorities help to design a more meaningful life?
To be the best human being I can be?
This involves a never-ending day-by-day evaluation of how best to spend my time, ultimately for the purpose of being as happy as I can be, and to share that happiness with others even if by way of just simply a smile. I've been through some pretty significant ups and downs in my life, including clinical depression. I've also mentioned many times before in this forum that I used to work as an Executive Coach. Who is essentially someone who helps others achieve success and/or their career potential. Of the many goals along those lines, I've always emphasized the goal of happiness. To that end and given that experience, there is no one-size-fits-all way to succeed in life. There is also no one definition of success in life for everyone.
Everyone needs to just figure out what works for them. What's most important for them, and while considering the answer to these questions by others can be helpful, ultimately no one can walk in the shoes of another. We've all got to find the shoes that are most comfortable for the walk we choose to walk, or are forced to walk. The path of life is so different for all of us too, and all those differences make for a great variety of answers to your questions that work for some. Not so well for others.
Again, good questions and good luck with all that. I asked about your reasons to get a sense about where you are coming from, because my experience has taught me the circumstances of your life, right now, make a big difference when it comes to answering these kinds of questions and/or asking them.
All the best with your search in any case. Here's also hoping you hear from other than me, since so far there haven't been many other attempts at answering your questions. I'm sure you wanted a bit more/better variety to consider. Patience is another important virtue worth working on...
I think it can be helped towards happiness, using certain tools (making certain decisions based on certain values etc). In this sense I wrote the word "design". Maybe it was not clear enough.
A brother monk in my church talked about all this. Since it all resonated with me and others, I wanted to open this subject here, just to see how other people respond to these questions.
I genuinely would like to know your answers. I'm curious how/if people from different cultures have different values, priorities.
Thanks.
Quote:
How can you use these priorities to design a more meaningful life? A more happy and fulfilling life.
I think we can only look back at our life as it has unfolded to know what kind of a life it was, whether any meaning can be derived from it.
Designing a life of certainties, such as for happiness, is not possible because we don't know how things will turn out.
All we can do is live each day, each moment. All that we know is the present. The past is dead the future is unknown.
Even if we manage to live each day of our life in happiness, there is no guarantee tomorrow will be happy.
The most we can do is wish for freedom from fear of uncertainties. Some religions teach us to examine our self carefully and practice contentment, live without wants, to walk the middle path between love and hate, forgive and not seek revenge, give up ownership (Ego), and seek to understand our true nature which will set us free.
we can also cultivate contentment within, which is not reliant upon or dependent upon any outer circumstances or situations.
our inner state is not a product of what's going on out there.
that is in my view what a path of religion and spirituality offers us, a guide map and instructions for that awareness.
All this has been on my mind. And I think ... on other people's minds, people that I know or even strangers. I can hear their conversations, read it in e-mails etc. These people want to more clearly define their purpose.
The questions are:
What are your values?
What do you hold dear?
What are your vital priorities?
How can you use these priorities to design a more meaningful life? A more happy and fulfilling life.
Thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by farm fatale
I've noticed these questions being on the minds of many people in my life. People that I encounter, relatives, neighbors, even here online. Because of the times that we are living in, I presume, yes. Inflation, turmoil, rapid changes, politics, values, discord, war, children's education, etc. It appears to be a lot of confusion everywhere.
I started having questions like this many years ago, as a young adult (20 something). I'm a middle aged woman.
Take care.
If YOU want to more clearly define YOUR purpose, design a more meaningful, happy, and fulfilling life, then you should NOT be asking what OTHERS "values", "hold dear", and "priorities" are. That is the biggest mistake that is the cause of everyone's confusion, making them all spiritually out of balance.
You need to be more concerned on becoming spiritually well grounded by always working on who YOU really are, and what YOU really want out of life.
As the vast majority of people LET their minds become hijacked by all kinds of false beliefs by society and religions, and end up having no idea who THEY really are, or what THEY really want out of life, so instead go thru life being unhappy to miserable, confused, wondering if there's any sense to it all, etc.
Now while everybody has a responsibility NOT to do anything to harm another being because you might want to, so I do not mean in that sense, just when it comes to oneself.
I don't have a lot of time right now to go into a lot of detail, so I'll just cut it short by using myself as an example. Hopefully that will shed more light as to what I mean.
When just a child I had a brush with my own "death" which resulted in a most profound spiritual experience before I was returned to life. I was shown many things including what my spiritual path was meant to be. Which resulted my my entire world-view being entirely different than everybody else's. Which caused me a GREAT deal of grief dealing with the other kids, "grown-ups", well, just everybody. But I held true to what God had shown me about myself. Not out of any sense of "measuring up", or obligation, or pride, but because it just plain felt right. And other than mildly bending a little for things like blending in with the masses, earning a living, I STILL have the same different world-view and sense of of who "I" am, never bending on any of it. And could not be happier!
All this has been on my mind. And I think ... on other people's minds, people that I know or even strangers. I can hear their conversations, read it in e-mails etc. These people want to more clearly define their purpose.
The questions are: What are your values? What do you hold dear? What are your vital priorities?
How can you use these priorities to design a more meaningful life? A more happy and fulfilling life.
Thanks.
In my world, it's all about Love. I receive Love from God and my family, which brings me inner peace and happiness and, of course, this is what I hold dear.
My spiritual priorities are to receive as much Divine Love in my soul as I can while I'm still amongst the living on earth. My other priorities are my forever home, a wonderful job and traveling to various places - my blessings.
My life hasn't always been so wonderful. There have been many ups and downs over the years, but during the majority of this time, my prayers went up and my pain and heartache were removed. Keeping the faith knowing that my Father in Heaven is here is the best feeling in the world.
P.S. It's nice to see another SoCal poster on this forum.
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