Photo of the Week: Tattered game of Life Stories. Life Stories is “a fun game of telling stories with family and friends.” It has four types of questions: Etchings (questions about interests), Valuables (questions about things you value), Memories, and Alternatives. No one wins or loses–you just go around the board asking and answering questions about each other. I have found that some love this game; others hate it.

Recently, I finished reading the book “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl. He was a therapist who survived the Holocaust. The book tells his story through the therapist’s lens. One idea I took away from the book was that the goal of life is not simply to be happy, but to have meaning. It seems that a sense of meaning is what helped him survive the concentration camps.

Lately, I have encountered several people who have gone through painful, major life changes. They are in a transitional space where they have lost what they once thought was their meaning, and have not yet found a new meaning. This can be a devastating space to be in.

How does a person begin to find meaning? I think there are many, many ways to do this. However, I think of Life Stories. Those four types of questions can be a guide–what are your interests (hobbies, inclinations); what do you value (what draws your concern when you listen to the news, what makes you brighten up); what are your memories (what do you remember caring about when you were younger, what injustices do you remember experiencing); alternatives (how do others see these things in you if you cannot get in touch with these things yourself). When we look at these questions, we can discover meaning. For example, what is the underlying reason you used to enjoy serving meals at the soup kitchen? Was it a love of serving? Was it a love of being around food and gatherings? Be curious about your life.

In my own life, my meaning has changed over the years. Sometimes meaning can be swept away abruptly. At those times, hold on. Breathe. Meaning can come back. I think that sometimes, our meaning is like winter. It appears that things are dead, but it is an important stage that generates new life. We see this happen in nature. We are part of nature. Happiness isn’t enough, but it can be an indicator of your deeper meaning.

What is meaning for your life? How have you found it?