how to live a meaningful life

Many people believe that things such as money or fame can give them happiness. But the fact is that you can be wildly successful on the outside but still feel empty inside. Happiness is not something you can achieve by seeking it; rather, happiness is a by-product of living a meaningful life. Meaning comes from contributing to a cause that matters to you. If you think you are making a difference in something that matters to you, your life will be meaningful. Meaning has to do with a cause that matters to you. It has to do with something that resonates with your heart.

Here are four steps to living a meaningful life:

1. Find your cause.

Before anything else, you should find your cause. A good way to find it is by looking at your dissatisfaction. What is it that makes you dissatisfied about the world? What is it that makes you wish you could change it? Everyone has a seed of greatness within so sit down and think through and discover your cause.

2. Create your mission statement.

You should create a mission statement. Your mission, of course, is to improve the situation that makes you dissatisfied. But you need to put that into words to make it easier to remember.

3. Identify your strengths.

Next, you should figure out how you can contribute to your cause. This requires you to identify your personal strengths. What are the things that you are good at? What are the things that you can do better than other people? Your strengths form the basis of your contribution. Why? Because they signal the unique value that only you can give.

4. Use your strengths to contribute.

After identifying your strengths, you should find how you can use them to contribute to your cause. Find your strengths and apply them to your cause. A wise man once said: “True happiness involves the full use of one’s power and talents.”