Your Meaningful May calendar (5/2024)

Hello and welcome (back) to my blog, dear friends!

Today im back with another calendar, as important as the 1st one I published this month. Because it promotes the idea of meaning and living a meaningful life.

Oh, but that is such a loaded phrase, right:)? What is a meaningful life nowadays? When it\’s very difficult to find your own core values. Not to talk about the \”news\” we are \”fed\” with everywhere we look, or the impact that social media has on us…What core values does social media teach?

Well, as discussed over the centuries by philosophers, theologians, researchers, and other experts alike, they seem to have convened that there are three types of meaning: Coherence, Significance, and Purpose. According to them (quote from VIA):

\”Coherence is about making sense of things,

Significance is about feeling that you matter and that life matters, and

Purpose is about having important life goals and working to achieve them\”

From the character strengths\’ point of view, finding and building meaning and purpose is one of the effects of applying our character strengths. And, as \”discussed\” in January\’s post, the idea of meaning is contained in the strength of Spirituality. And since this is a pretty vast concept, and confusing for many I found, I will try to give a very short definition here, strictly from the positive psychology point of view: spirituality = trying to find the reason for life, the sense that one has a purpose in life.

And, like all our character strengths, this one also has a optimal way of use. But before we get to that, let\’s first find out what it means to underuse and overuse this strength of ours.

Well, to underuse it means to be unaware of our core values. Exactly what I was talking about in this post. Overusing it means to become preachy, a prozelite or even fanatical. Whereas to use it in an optimal way means to feel connected. It\’s our \”belief in and commitment to the transcendent (nonmaterial) aspects of life—whether they be called universal, ideal, sacred, or divine\” (quote from \”Character strengths and Virtues – A handbook and classification\” by Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson).

So whatever meaning means for you, this calendar is here to help you do something meaningful every day:

Now, as a certified positive psychology coach, I am here to help you discover your own values: what you \”burn\” for, what you would work for even if you were paid not to, the values you feel like defending. Once you know that, you figured out what would give your life purpose. Couple that with your results from your VIA test and then you will have a few paths laid ahead of you. Based on those you will be able, among other things, to choose a career that excites and motivates you to get up in the morning, that seems effortless to you, that make you feel energised.

I will be your guide on the path of understanding and applying your values and strengths for a balanced life, filled with more enthusiasm.

Hoping I brought a bit more excitement about your intentions, im looking forward to meeting you, so we can discover together how you can live the life YOU want.

Remember, 2024 will be (y)our BEST year yet ;)!

Until next time, stay positive and take care of yourselves!