A Need For Higher Meaning.

[Lynnel]

I've watched Leo's video about meaning recently and also read about it in the Peter Ralston's books : the fact that everything is meaningless.

I do realize it's a mechanism of self-survival and meaning/value is assigned according to that but on a practical level it doesn't stick.

My mind is needing some sort of meaning, some sort of higher purpose, some sort of the ultimate goal of the universe to give me a direction, something amazing to be found out there, some big fantasy, like you know when you look at the stars and you're amazed by the whole universe and you really wanna do something very amazing with your life ?

I have already constructed a briliant life purpose I'm following each day and that's going on great BUT the fact that my mind is still looking for that big thing to be found somewhere out there in the world is annoying.

The best moments of my life were litteraly the moment where I had achieved something and I realized " this is all meaningless" and a lot of pressure and stress instantly went away and it was really blissfull. I wanna make it stick.

But my mind is still overly wanting some sort of achieving the highest meaning. I've got brainwashed by the culture believing love can be the highest meaning and I spent some time pursuing that with some dissapointment and I still feel controlled by the different meanings/agendas my mind is sometimes making.

Any advice appreciated.

[Forestluv]

Me doesn't want to experience sadness of ego dissolution.

[Saarah]

@Lynnel I don't think the mind can shake it off tbh, even when enlightened people say "this is all play" it feels like a meaning to the mind, the best you can do while functioning as a self is pursue non-toxic meanings that are valuable to you. 

At the same time it's helpful to keep remembering that there's nothing inherent in the things you're chasing, you already referred to your experience where you recognised that once, since it was an experience it's not going to hang around so don't expect it to, being a person who appreciates the now and meditating is the best you can do if you're not trying to become enlightened yet. 

Just keep the balance, don't resist that fact that you want to pursue things, use them to keep you having a sense of well-being. Finding value in things just for the sake of it can be helpful too, it's not always about relying on a result to come then, it's just about living in the process. 

[RichardY]

Was listening to a video by Alan Watts who said something like: words have meaning, even if things do not.

[Erlend K]

Meaning is not something out there, but a purely psychological phenomenon. Any activity can feel meaningful to you, or it can feel meaningless. In the same way your life can feel meaningful or it can feel meaningless. Creating a strong sense of meaning is achieved through three steps:

1.Find a cause that feels bigger and more important than yourself

2.Find a way to apply your natural talents/strenghts towards furthering this cause

3.Devote a lot of time and energy for this cause.

Do this and your life will feel meaningful.

[Meretagh]

Seems like you just haven't contemplated it enough for it to stick... https://youtu.be/zGDGobqibDc?t=1h13m59s

 

[Lynnel]

@Erlend K @Shiva

I'm not trying to achieve some meaning I'm trying to deconstruct the expectations of an END GOAL and a higher meaning somewhere out there.

And all those meanings society put into my brain and I'm heavily controlled by.

 

@Meretagh Fair enough. I guess that's the only way to do it