Fred, who was having meaning of life problems, came to my office for an official visit. He was an amiable guy, about 5′ 10″ with thinning black hair, age 46. He kind of plopped in the office chair. I began drawing him out on what he was having trouble with. He just wasn’t happy he said. I asked the usual questions about family, friends, health. He said all those were fine.
When I asked about work, I sensed his personal intensity grow immediately. We had hit the tingling nerve. He was just not happy in his work. I was surprised to hear him say that he could not use his creativity in his job. Bosses wanted exactly as they prescribed, no more, no less. He did a good job of that and even won two promotions over the seven years he had been with the company. But he felt stifled, cut off from himself.
I was surprised because men don’t usually bring up this sort of discomfort. They kept it to themselves thinking that sharing it is unmanly. But this is part of the meaning of life which is to be happy.
When our creative side is thwarted, we cannot express the happiness we carry inside out in the corporal world. Then we will feel as if something is missing. We are missing participation in the meaning of life. This was Fred’s base problem.
His base problem? The problem that was causing all his other meaning of life problems.
Fred asked the question, “What am I to do? I, of course, need the job. Just can’t quit. Family to support and all that. What am I going to do?”
I told him simply that he needed to find the freedom and the means to express himself creatively. What was it he felt he wanted to do, creatively? He wanted to build furniture. He said he had ideas for unique pieces and he wanted to try those ideas out.
We explored this possibility. Did he have the tools? No. Could he afford to buy them? Yes. Would his family be on board with him taking some time to play with his ideas? He thought they would as they had several times remarked at how restless he seemed.
“But do I have the right to do this?” he asked. I asked him what he meant by “right.” He said it had to do with breaking the mold of always toeing the line as he had ben taught as a child. Then we got to the foundational problem.
Foundational problem? He was taught that happiness and the meaning of life were straight-jacketed into routine. His nurturing family did not believe in creativity. His father worked 40 years in the same job, for example. (Nothing wrong with that in itself.)
Yes, I said, you have every right to express yourself as you see fit. You are free to do that. Besides, I said, he could start in his spare time and see if it turned into a career where he was not stifled. Maybe it would be no more than an important hobby but some folks, I told him, definitely make a good living creating hand-crafted furniture.
by chadmagiera
Fred left the office beaming. You can be beaming too. Find what it is that expresses your happiness and do it. Starting today; starting now. You’ll be fulfilling the meaning of life.
And I invite you to pick up more info about the meaning of your life. I ask to you sign up for Free Instant Access to some of my Force-Source-Resources. One of which is titled, “Two Free Life Phrases for Self Development ‘I Am My True Self’ and ‘I am Conscious’.” Remember, one bit of information can give you a superior point of activation. Just click here and you’ll be on your way. (Or, if it appears there, please sign up now in the upper right hand corner.) These resources will change your life.
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