M4L 2012 Lesson 13 Summary How Do I Make Life Better? Learn the Meaning-Centered Pathways

M4L 2012 Lesson 13 Summary
How do I make life better? Learn the meaning-centered pathways to well-being.

Lesson Description

Regardless of our circumstances, we all desire a better life. Ideally, we yearn for a better life not just for our selves, but also for others. The challenge before us is two-fold: 1) we need to know what kind of good life we want to achieve and 2) we need to know the pathways to achieving this goal.

Throughout this course, we have made the point that success and happiness are not enough as the ultimate ends of life. We have proposed that when we make meaning and virtue our ultimate concern, success and happiness will come through the back door.

According to Martin Seligman's Authentic Happiness, meaning is one of the three good things (along with pleasure and engagement). According to his book Flourish, meaning is one of the five components of well-being and flourishing (the others components are: positive emotion, engagement, positive relationship, and achievement). In short, meaning is one of the key contributors to well-being.

In this lesson, we will examine several pathways to meaningful living. Frankl's (1985) three pathways of meaning (creative, experiential, and attitudinal values) are a good start. These pathways encompass the present day research emphasis on mindfulness and positive psychology.

We will also cover Wong's (1998) eight sources of meaning: achievement, relationship, intimacy, acceptance, self-transcendence, religion, fair treatment, and happiness. These pathways together contribute to a life well lived.

This lesson emphasizes that we are relational, meaning-making beings. We have just covered the importance of relationship and attachment for well-being. In this lesson, we will focus on both global meaning and situational meaning.

We will also discuss how to apply these pathways to our personal lives in order to attain a better life.