How to Create Greater Meaning and Purpose in Our Daily Lives

Sometimes we can learn very helpful life lessons from unexpected places. I had an interesting conversation with one of my nieces about her acting class, and began thinking about how the skills she is working on there might apply to all of our lives.  She was sharing with me how she is learning to (1) identify and develop her character’s motivation before she begins any scene; and (2) use techniques to make each scene completely fresh, as if it was unfolding in the moment and not coming from a well-rehearsed script. Perhaps there is some wisdom in this for all of us to consider. First, in terms of identifying our motivation before we begin any “scene,” it can be helpful to think about what our deepest values are at the start of each day, and how we can use those values to motivate us toward actions as we go through our day. Teachings from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy encourage us to identify what we most value in different areas of our lives and use this as motivation to pursue what is most important, even if that means tolerating some discomfort along the way. As an example, one of the things I value is being able to share ideas and help others discover greater well-being. This motivates me to keep writing blogs and put my writing “out there” in cyberspace despite some discomfort and worries about what others will think. Take some time to consider what you most value in different areas of your life (relationships, work, leisure time, etc.). How might these va...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Books Creativity Mindfulness Motivation and Inspiration Self-Help Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Contentment Existential Question Personal Values purpose Source Type: blogs