~
~

~

~

~

A few years ago, I had no idea that the work I did…teaching school….or any job… any career … contributed so “automatically” to a such a deep and varied sense of  “a deeply meaningful life”…in so many ways…in so many aspects!

And then I “retired” from working… moved on into a “new” life… Wow!! Big, unanticipated surprises!

What a change that’s been!  Wonderful, in many ways…but challenging in many other ways!

~

I’ve been wondering…
where did that wonderful sense of…
meaning…
belonging…
connecting…
contributing…
accomplishing…
go????

~

And wondering,
questioning,
figuring out…
…how in the world…
do I….
might I ….
can I …
continually create or re-create those important qualities, now,
in my everyday life?

~

What amazing amounts of learning, creativity, ingenuity and improvising I’ve been having to use as I’m  learning about, discovering, exploring and actually using positive strategies and ideas in support of creating…and re-creating…. a “new” variation on…. a meaningful life!

~

“bricolage” …. a wonderful word that I learned from reading Joan Borysenko

“Bricolage”
“an ability to think outside the box and improvise successful solutions.”

~

~

There’s a phrase used about parenthood… the idea that parenthood is “an automatic friendship generator”… “parents” are continuously developing an abundance of friendships and relationships as we’re supporting our kids in activities, schools, organizations, volunteering…new friendships continually developing with other adults…

~
“bricolage!”

Well… I’m starting to realize that “working”… a job…a career is “an automatic MEANING generator” …simply by being at work, being with others,  caring about and committed to whatever work we might do… engaging in so many meaningful aspects of that “job” throughout each work day….each of those contributing to a sense of a deeply engaged and meaningful life….

Work: an automatic “meaning” generator…
“qualities” supporting having a sense of meaning:
an automatic “relationship” generator,
an automatic “connecting to others” generator,
an automatic “contributing to others” generator,
an automatic “growth and learning” generator,
an automatic “accomplishment” generator,
an automatic “feeling acknowledged and appreciated” generator

All contributing to…..
a generator of….a deeper sense of meaning in one’s life!

~

~

Soooooooooooooo…..now…???… how in the world do I go about creating… or re-creating…. a sense “meaning” in important areas…??? ….

How do I learn more about how to actually DO this???……living with a sense of “meaning” and “purpose” in my everyday life…. a sense of meaning and purpose not coming out of or generated by the “work” I previously did….

How might I go about NEWLY  creating,  generating and living with a deeper sense of meaning…??? …. living meaningfully… creating and generating  a sense of a deeply meaningful life…

How do I do that…………..????
What might I be able to I learn?
What might I try to understand?
What might I actually try?
What can I do?

What important “meaning generators” can I learn about, develop and live?

~

~

More… bricolage!

Well….that’s what the “Charging Well Being Checklists” I’ve been creating and using for the past 10 months are for… for actually learning effective strategies for living with a deeper sense of meaning….for support in creating a meaningful and purposeful life… and for meeting,  enjoying, living and connecting with people around me.

~

So many of the varied  ideas on that larger checklist,
are ideas I can learn about, explore, try out and use!

Ideas that are turning out to actually be really supportive and helpful
in this “quest” that I’m on….

~

~

 

~

At least for me….this is a good idea!

~

~

Here’s a photo, below, of a larger “Well-being Checklist”
a checklist  I’ve been using for the past many months…

This particular version….checked off during the past few weeks
after various activities I “did” each day….
a variety of both simple and complex activities

It doesn’t matter how simple or complex any activity might be!!!
What matters most to me,  is seeing the depth and levels of meaning
generated by participating in both simple and complex activities

Ah ha!…lots of new approaches for creating and living…
“automatic meaning generators!!!”

Increasing my awareness of those choices and options..
increasing my appreciation of them…
increasing my sense of access to them…
all leading to living with
a deeper sense of meaning and purpose

At least for me…this is a good idea!

~

~

Yes… for me…. this is a good idea!

~

~

~

The full Well-being checklist”…
lots  of overlap in each section… ideas and strategies from various researchers…
lots of good and helpful ideas for living and enriching my everyday life!

For the past 10 months,
I’ve been using the ideas on this checklist to support….
learning, enjoying, creating and  living….
an increasingly varied and  balanced….
meaningful life…

~

~

~

Using these checklists to support “generating”….
bricolage!
creating   exploring   experimenting
learning and flexibly growing
accomplishing
feeling acknowledged and appreciated
nurturing relationships
connecting with others
contributing to others
an abundance of positive qualities

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~

~

 I’ve been reading, studying, reflecting upon and thinking about some additional, really insightful ideas from a wonderful, newly published book: “The Power of Meaning  Crafting a Life that Matters”  by Emily Esfahani Smith.  Reading those ideas is really helping me to put the ideas from the checklists into a deeper, more meaningful context… a terrific book!

This post is part of Nurturing Thursdays, hosted at Becca Givens’ Blog, On Dragonfly Wings With Buttercup Tea.  Link into Becca’s blog to view her Nurturing Thursday post and for links to posts by other Nurturing Thursday bloggers.