Make purpose your superpower
How I use meaning in my life to live better?
I re-read “A man’s search for meaning” for the third time. The book continues to amaze me. It is an autobiography of Victor Frankl, a psychologist who survived several concentration camps, including Auswitch.
Victor uses his experience and expertise in psychology to understand why he, or anyone else, could survive concentration camps when millions died.
Lessons from the book
I boiled this book down to 3 main learnings about meaning in life:
- Having a purpose gives you the power to live and struggle through any circumstance. “A man who knows his why can find anyhow.”
- There is no higher purpose or meaning to life. In fact, our challenge in life is to discover and attach personal meaning to seemingly random/meaningless things.
- Meaning is personal, and it can change with time. We don’t need to have some overarching “purpose” in life. Attaching meaning to our everyday experience is more important.
So, how do we add purpose to life? Frankl suggests three ways to discover meaning:
- Meaning in work
- Meaning in love
- Meaning in suffering
My personal experience with meaning
When I first read this book as an undergrad, I couldn’t comprehend what finding meaning meant. Eight years later, I guess I have a better grasp. So, I will share my personal experience of finding purpose in each area.
1 — Meaning in work
Meaning in work lies in caring about your work. It does not mean finding a passion; instead, being passionate about what you do. I now hold myself to the highest standards when delivering my work. And I make an effort to enjoy the work. Purpose in work comes from loving your job and focusing on putting in a strong effort. The realization has transformed the way I work and see my work now.
2 — Meaning in Love
I am still learning about meaning in love. But finding meaning in love comes from discovering ways to enable shared growth and commitment in your relationship. My partner, Awantika, and I are in long-distance marriage across continents. A desire to create a shared life despite distance while working to be reunited soon gives a powerful meaning to my life.
3 — Meaning in Suffering
How we deal with unavoidable misery and suffering gives so much meaning to life. For six years, I struggled with anxiety and panic disorders. While the journey was challenging, experiencing mental health disorders significantly enhanced my life. My bouts with anxiety have given my life a three-fold purpose: enjoying my anxiety-free life to the fullest, building a self-care routine to remain anxiety-free, and supporting others dealing with similar challenges. Coping with anxiety made me a better person.
Having meaning and purpose in everyday life gives intentionality to everything I do. It gives me the courage to act on things that matter and the wisdom to let go of things that don’t. It took me years to get here because I am a slow learner. But, your journey can be faster. Reading Man’s search for meaning is a great way to kickstart it.
