What is a meaningful life?

I finally allow myself to speak my own truth. I was asking myself so many times, “What’s the meaning of life?” I felt bad many times when I didn’t hit the big to-dos on my list, the ones that made me feel like I had created an impact in the world that day. And the more I thought about it, the more it annoyed me, because I was like, “I’m not doing a favor to anyone if I constantly ask myself whether my day had enough meaning.”

So this led me to the question: What is a meaningful day?

Can you only call it a meaningful day when you hit a big achievement, work on big projects, or reach your next milestone? Is that the only way to say you lived a life with meaning, or can it go deeper? Can it also be smaller?What if I find joy in watching the leaves moving in the tree? Can I call this a meaningful day, or is that “not enough”? And is that what society tells me, or is it my inner voice judging me? Where is this pressure to create a “meaningful life” coming from? Am I alone in this, or do others experience this as well?

What would happen if we took the pressure away and simply met every single moment as it is? What if we met every emotion as it is, without wanting to change anything? Can this give us meaning? Can we then feel happy and at peace?

For me, meaning lies in how I meet myself and whether I can sit with what is, or if I feel like I have to run away because it feels too uncomfortable. I find meaning in feeling, in listening to others, in observing my surroundings. And on the other hand, I also find meaning in serving others with my Circles, for example. I find meaning in guiding people through a yoga class.

So as you can see, there are many ways I find meaning. Some of them are quiet, almost invisible. Others are more visible. Teaching a class is something you can “see” or “measure,” and other things have their own meaning even if they can’t be measured. What I realize while writing this text is this: Meaning is what you call it and what you feel. There is no measurement where you can say, “Oh, that’s meaningful now.” You are the only person who can feel it or not. And whether that’s while you’re sitting on the couch listening to the sound of your own breath, or while you’re running a retreat, both have the same worth.

And if we were only able to enjoy the big things, wouldn’t that be sad? Because it’s obvious that you can’t always achieve “big things” every day. On some days, just getting up in the morning might be a big achievement for you. And so it is. If we only run after the “big things,” I think we end up being unhappy. So where’s the point? Why not enjoy whatever is, instead of chasing what’s not?

If you’re reading this and feel like you want to share your thoughts with me, feel free to reach out to me through Instagram: @larissa.lienhard