Meaning

(Purpose)

Meaning (M) is about developing an understanding of the benefits of serving a cause greater than ourselves and engaging in related activities (Norrish, Robinson & Williams 2013). Having a purpose in life is correlated to good physical health, high life satisfaction, and strong relationships and is protective against depression and risky behaviours (Cotton Bronk et al 2009; Damon et al 2003).¹

"Being passionate about something larger than yourself, doing the right thing, and doing the thing right to make a positive difference in your world." ²

"Religion and spirituality provide many people with meaning, as can working for a good company, raising children, volunteering for a greater cause, and expressing ourselves creatively." - Positive Psychology

Meaning refers to how we “make sense of life and our roles in it,” while purpose refers to the “aspirations that motivate our activities” (Ivtzan et al., 2016). - Positive Psychology 

"From a literal standpoint of the word “meaning” we can find words and phrases such as: to bring, to produce, intent, purpose, the significance of something, importance, and probably a few more. So gathering all these up and looking at meaning, the general notion is that it is something in life that one produces of personal worth or importance that is of significance." - The Positive Psychology People

Positive Psychology provides the diagram above and the following to further your understanding of Meaning within the PERMAH constuct. 

According to Seligman (2011), a meaningful life contains the feeling of belonging and serving something bigger than yourself.

We are all born with a deeply-rooted need to find meaning. Frankl (2006) explains this phenomenon as the will to meaning, which refers to the intrinsic motivation to find answers and explanations for life events.

How does meaning affect us? People who believe their lives have meaning are happier, have higher life satisfaction, are more engaged in their work, have a better immune system and buffer against stress and live longer in general (Steger 2009).

"Mattering is so much more actionable than meaning" - Dr. Martin Seligman 

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Martela & Steger (2015) present that meaning in life involves three main components:

Significance: You feel significant when you can contribute or make a difference. You matter. If you break down the word significance, you can explain this aspect of meaning as a “SIGN” of importance. Experiencing how your own or your client’s strengths and behavior can make a difference is an example of how to put significance into practice.

Purpose: “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’” – Nietzsche. This quote describes the essence of purpose. Having a direction in life or core goals to achieve is what makes you experience purpose. Journaling about goals and achievements can help you or your client increase awareness of this specific facet of meaning.

Coherence: Coherence describes the connection between the past, present, and future. More in-depth, coherence means our own understanding and construction of the world. Creating a lifeline and reflecting on events that have influenced you or your client is an empowering exercise for experiencing coherence. 

Source

Resources to Learn More About Meaning>

Living It and Teaching with Meaning: Which strengths in which situations help us engage within this PERMAH pillar?

Living and Teaching Resources>

(Making Wellbeing Practical, Positive Psychology, and Site Author's Ideas)