Meaningful Work

In Victor Frankl’s book, “Man’s search for Meaning”, speaking about his experiences in a concentration camp during WWII, he highlights a profound truth saying, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances”.

Meaningful Work has a deep importance and effect in our lives, and we are free to choose that meaning. Work is an area of our lives, since it forms such a big part, where we need meaning, however we create that.

It has been shown to significantly affect people’s resilience, health, and well-being. And I’m absolutely certain that many a depression has been due to a lack of meaning.

Although sometimes we might not be aware of it in our everyday lives, it can be a powerful source of motivation and strength in our lives, without which it can be a challenge to sustain any endeavour.

The world and our lives have to make sense to us. We must have a coherent story, and part of that narrative is the meaning we attach to it.

According to the World Health Organization, on the average we spend 90,000 hours working over a lifetime. That’s a third of our lives, and another third is spent sleeping. That leaves only one third into which to cram all the other things!

So what would be meaningful work for you? Is it enough that you can pay the bills to support your family or your lifestyle outside of work? Perhaps it is… maybe you’re called to create something, or make a difference in the world in some way.

It might be that you’ve overcome some difficulties in your life, and you feel you could help others with the same issue. Or it might be simply be that when you’re expressing who you are through some talent or ability, that it feels so good, you want to spend your days and hours doing that.

So, if you spend a third of your life working, can you afford for it to be without meaning?

Find the WHY for your work and increase the chances of leading a fulfilling and satisfactory life.