Happiness is not the same thing as a meaningful life. Most people look for happiness in their lives. However, according to author Emily Esfahani Smith, the way to find happiness in our life is to actually create a meaningful life for ourselves. Then, happiness follows.
She listed down four pillars that provide meaning to our lives. They are:
- Belongings – Being appreciated for who we are
- Purpose – Our ability to use our gifts to make a difference
- Transcendence – Inspiration for looking beyond ourselves
- Story Telling – The narrative we create about ourselves
Here is a link to her Ted Talk about this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Trdafp83U