What brings meaning to your life?

[EggBoxes]

If you have meaning in your life, what is it?
Or do you feel that your life doesn't have any meaning, and if so, how is that for you?

Looking after my children and DH, volunteering and helping others in whatever capacity I can. I need to feel useful otherwise I start to feel that my life doesn’t have any meaning to it/no purpose.

Watching with interest. I feel my life has no meaning or purpose and is one pointless, dreary slog. I would like to see what other people say brings their life meaning, as I have felt this way for many years and hate being in such a negative mindset.

Weed

This is a nice thread. Sometimes life feels pointless at the moment and like there is no meaning:
DC and DH - they are the reason I keep going when I want to give up on everything
My job - it's the kind of job that some people describe as a vocation and I do kind of see it that way. Being part of my amazing team and being able to help people through some very difficult situations does show that there is a point to life. It can be a very challenging job and sometimes it feels like it is breaking me, but at the same time it is very much part of me.
I would previously have said my religious faith. At the moment I feel like COVID stole that. I know it shows that my faith can't have been as strong as I thought, but I found it hard to reconcile COVID and especially some of my work experiences with it with my idea of God and not being able to go to church or find enough free quiet time to really think about this has not helped.
Sunsets and sun rises and little things of beauty in nature, whether I believe in a divine creator of them or not show that there are bigger things than me, bigger things than humanity.

I do wonder if having children removes the potential to feel a lack of purpose.

Do you have children @WaynettaIsMyStyleIcon?

My family
My friends
My work
Nature

Exercise
Reading

My DC.

The meaning of life is life itself.

See how getting a terminal disease changes peoples' perspective. Suddenly all those mundane things and people that we took for granted for so long are imbued with new meaning. They are the fabric of life itself, and they are a gift. Even the bad stuff is good - weird as that might sound - it gets us where we are going and forges us into the people we become.

My job
My cat

My child and husband. I felt the same until her

If I’m honest, it’s work. My work defines who I am.

A cat would be cool though.

I also live for travel.

My children
My job
My dog
My garden
Books
Music

I have been at rock bottom a few years ago and had to claw my way back to where I am now. I think this has helped me find contentment with a lot less.

My children
My job
Nature
Spirituality
Coffee
Chocolate
Travel
Adventure
Dogs and other animals including my chickens.

Also books and film

My DC - but that’s sort of baked in I suppose.

I was looking at my bookshelves yesterday and there are so many good ones I haven’t read or want to re-read. I found myself thinking I really hope I don’t die before I finish them. Morbid, weird, but perhaps stories give my life meaning?

My little boy (even if he has been an absolute bugger today).

Rugby, I’m really proud of my team and training/playing is one of my favourite things to do, I’ve been signed since I was 19, I was a pro player until I was 26, I’m now semi-pro. I’m a qualified coach, we will never have a youth team so I have bought a rugby tots franchise and I take over in September so I can’t wait for that.

Piano, its my little bit of escapeism.

Exercise/Gym I need to be fit and strong for rugby, but the main motivation is pure vanity.

Spending time with people I love, I don’t mind my own company, but I’m happiest when I’m sharing my life and experiencing things with other people.

My a kid - having a little person who loves me no matter what and always needs me. My DD makes make me laugh every day which didnt happen before she came.

My DH - even though it's not always easy we always look out for each other.

My job - I am a teacher. 70% of the time I feel like an exam factory worker, but every now and again there is a kid who genuinely needs me and makes me feel like all my work is important.

Without my children life would be meaningless. Although I do have other responsibilities in life which I care about, such as my pets and home and job but without my children I would be in despair.

What Nandakanda said. The world around us is so complex and full of people and things which add to our lives, plus we have our whole internal world, full of memories and imagination, and the fruits of other people's memories and imaginations in the form of books, films, music etc. If that's not collectively enough to provide meaning in life, I don't know what would be.

I get meaning from friends & family, feminist campaigning, my job & from new achievements, learning new things & stretching myself.

I never wanted kids & at 46 that’s not going to change, but that’s never meant I feel my life doesn’t have meaning or purpose.

My kids and DH
My job as a manager in a charity although work life balance was better when I was more junior.
To a lesser extent my increasingly irregular voluntary work (was also easier when I was less senior at work)
Books, music, art, films and theatre (obvs the latter is less accessible atm)
Travel and getting out of the city for downtime with friends and family but with my life and heart very much in the city
Swimming (especially outdoors) and kayaking but not at the moment obviously
Being on the south bank or in the national gallery or in a nice restaurant with friends or any pub on the Thames.
Being alone on the top deck of a bus travelling through London.
Learning new things. History and archaeology especially.

My relationship with my OH
My relationships with my family
My job, although this is also the source off a fair amount of angst
The home life I've created
My friendships
My capacity to appreciate passing moments
I think meaning is different from enjoyment but i also benefit from my hobbies.

These are lovely to read.

My DS, DH and DCats.

Growing fruit and veg.

Cross stitch.

Christmas.

Working in the public sector (however could happily give this up but it does give me some sense of satisfaction).

Being part of a community (friends, church, neighbours, work colleagues).

Not necessarily in that order but my immediate family absolutely bring me the biggest sense of purpose.

Dh & dc
My garden
Playing piano
Really good books