Rule #7 Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)
“Freedom requires constraint” Nietzsche & Dostoevsky.
Pursue what is meaningful. It sounds like such a tall order, but after listening you’ll find the most difficult part is determining what is meaningful to you, to your life.
When we hear the term “Meaning” we often think it must be associated with some big altruistic goal. That idea is incorrect. Meaning is a HUGE part of life, but it is different for each of us. In this video/podcast, Deborah Bateman of Risk Blossoming and I talk about meaning – what it is and how to pursue it. (Prefer to download and listen? Download this discussion from my Goggle Podcast channel.
Do the work – how can you apply this rule to your life?
3 assignments that will help you apply this rule to your life. Grab your journal or notebook and get started!
The Obituary
If you’re having trouble defining the meaning in your life, write the obituary you would like to have read at your funeral. What legacy do you want to leave behind? What do you want to accomplish? Include all of these things in the obituary. After you’ve written it, compare it to your life now. What steps do you need to take in order to make the obituary true?
The Monkey Story
What is your “Monkey Story”? (p170) What are you hanging on to that is stopping you from moving forward in your goal for meaning?
Start to stop: What are you willing to sacrifice?
There are things that you are currently doing that are preventing you from reaching your potential. They are preventing you from giving your life the long term meaning you desire. What can you? What should you be sacrificing now to build a meaningful life in the future? It’s time to start to stop those things.
Thanks so much for joining me today. If you haven’t already read Jordan Peterson’s book, 12 Rules for life, I would encourage you to add it to your reading list today.
Have a great week, I’ll see you next Monday.
T.
This is the 7th episode in this series. Here are links to the first 6.
Rule #1 – Stand up straight with your shoulders back with London Stackpole
Rule #2 – Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping with Tamara Merrill
Rule #3 – Make friends with people who want the best for you with Kate Daigh
Rule #4 – Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today with Shawna Zoltay
Rule #5 – Don’t allow your children to do anything that makes you dislike them with Debby Wilkerson
Rule #6 – Put your house in perfect order before you criticize the world with Eileen
