Meaning can be extremely elusive. We often find ourselves depending on factors beyond our control to satisfy our need to be valued. We may diligently work for years and never receive the professional recognition we crave. We may go to great lengths to make ourselves appealing and never be noticed by the one we are attracted to.
Even if these things do happen, the temporary emotional 'high' that comes with achieving these things is always temporary. The world moves on. Our accomplishments fade into the background. The heated romance, if it does not lead to a concerted commitment founded on mutual trust and loyalty, fizzles into lethargy.
It is not enough to stumble upon temporary instances of meaning to live a meaningful life. The meaning we experience must be of an enduring quality. History is littered with stories of highly successful individuals who, after reaching the pinnacle of fame, success, and popular adoration, committed suicide because the meaning they found in those things failed to endure. When all was said and done they were just as broken as any of us and were unable to find an antidote to that suffering.
But there have been many who, despite experiencing the same brokenness and considerably less success, have not only tapped into an inner reserve of fortitude to see the journey of life through to the end but they did so energized by an enduring sense of meaning. They were able to weather life's difficulties with an understanding that doing so was worthwhile.
How did they do it? How did they infuse their lives with meaning that was real and resilient enough to make life worth living, despite the inevitable suffering involved? This seems to be the most important question one can ask and it is the one that has driven me to an intensive study of what constitutes enduring meaning and how to find it. Chase Meaning is both a product of that study and a means to do so.
Over the course of quite a few years of research and many experiences undergone with an eye to answering that question, I believe I have identified three interrelated Truths that seem to hold the solution to the problem of meaningless existence. The ideas behind these Truths are not original or new, but they are too often forgotten to our detriment. My formulation of these Truths is intended to distill the wisdom of the deep and genuine thinkers of the past in a way that is both memorable and accessible. The Truths themselves are self-evident and defensible to a degree that they can stand on their own, but there is no limit to the extent they can be explored and expounded upon. They are as follows:
Truth #1: Enduring meaning is found at the intersection of what is truly good and what you uniquely have to offer.
Truth #2: You grow in goodness by following the dictates of conscience, enlightened by reason and experience.
Truth #3: You cultivate your individuality by growing in goodness.
Another way to understand these interrelated Truths is in terms of the goal, the way you achieve that goal, and the tool you use to do so. In this case, the goal, the 'why,' the reason for acting in the first place, is to live a life infused with enduring meaning. The way or the 'how' is to grow in goodness and individuality. The means or the 'what' is conscience.
There is a reason for being so deliberate with what some might see as common sense or even quaint principles of living. No one just stumbles upon enduring meaning. It involves a deliberate search involving every aspect of our personhood and a determination to pursue goodness for its own sake rather than just for its utility. Others can guide us but they can't do it for us. It requires a seriousness that borders on obsession. But there is no endeavor more worth the effort.