"Does that make sense?" Just three words and one punctuation mark. "Sense"—a word we hear more often in a powerful question that is being asked more and more frequently. This increases its significance for people's lives and the existence of companies. The Duden dictionary defines sense as "an inner relationship to something." But what is it worth building such a relationship to, and where does it lead?
When I conduct a brief field test during lectures and seminars to determine what is most important to participants when carrying out a task, the "why" of the action receives the overwhelming majority of votes (approximately 70 percent) – far ahead of the "what," "how," or "with what." It feels as though this number has risen steadily over the last ten years. This proves how important meaning has become in our lives.
Two major approaches emerge from questioning and reflection on this issue
Some ask themselves: What is the meaning of life? They take their search outward and end up either at a dead end or with a dubious "guru."
Others ask themselves: How can my life be meaningful to others? They turn inward in their search. And this path leads to the rocky but very rewarding path of self-knowledge. In addition, there are many smaller approaches based on the question of what makes more or less sense in which context right now. Clear values and goals provide excellent guidance in this regard. And that's why clear values and clear goals make so much sense!
The path to inner growth quickly leads to personal responsibility and commitment. These are not things that simply exist, but rather things we develop—things we must learn and understand. Again and again. Depending on our mental level. Goals have a different meaning for a trainee than they do for a department head. And yet another meaning for a CEO or owner. Sometimes we only understand others when we too have reached their level of responsibility . For example, some people only understand their parents better when they have children themselves.
Quality of questions of meaning – inside and outside
We can gauge how far we have come in our search for meaning and thus in our quest for a fulfilled life by the quality of the questions we ask ourselves. Here are a few ideas to consider: "What's the point?" quickly leads to external factors and complaints. A slightly more sophisticated approach is: "What don't I want?" At least this is more personal. With the questions "What should I do?" and "What must I do?", we begin to "tip" towards maturity because we responsibility our responsibility .
It becomes really powerful when we ask the question: "What am I allowed to do?" A completely different tone enters our lives. It becomes more substantial. Now the ground is finally prepared for the master questions: "Who am I?" And at the top of the pyramid is the question for champions: "What am I meant to do?"
Applied to the professional world, this means that in order for my actions to give meaning and direction, I should continually strive to get closer to my purpose in life. After all, those who can provide a reason for their actions become a source of meaning and thus a strong motivator for others. As Friedrich Nietzsche so aptly put it:
"Those who have a reason to act can endure almost any means."
That's why you're not really happy.
Why success and fulfillment have nothing to do with each other.
Image source: ©stevepb Pixabay
