7 questions you need to be asking if you want to lead a meaningful life
The following is an an excerpt from my journal from 2023:
Last night, I spoke to [my grandfather] Bill, he was in hospital after a fall.
He was remorseful, feeling like he hasn't done enough in his 91 years on the planet.
Here is a man who has been married for 74 years, had 5 children, 14 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. He had pioneered the sport of hang gliding , was in the Australian hall of fame and held multiple world records. He ran a fruit shop, a restaurant and a successful auto electrical business. Their house was always full of people from all over the world (still is) and over the course of his life, he’d had a big influence on a lot of people.
All in all I'd say he had a meaningful life, definitely a life you could write about.
But what am I doing?
After our call, these questions wouldn’t leave me alone:
Am I doing enough? (of what feels aligned with my heart)
Have I been all the places I want to go?
Am I truly living my purpose and standing up for the things I care about?
Am I being with the people I love enough? Am I telling them enough?
What other experiences do I want to have?
Am I still (in some areas) waiting for some imaginary fairy god mother to give me permission to live fully?
What are the elements to fully living a meaningful life anyway? One that I would be excited to write about.
[end of excerpt]
Following that conversation, I began an experiment. I called it:
“A life worth writing about” A year-long experiment in meaningful living, and wrote about it online.
I explored topics like simplicity, happiness, minimalism, inspiration, purpose, habit creation and taking action. I had amazing conversations with people and read books as well as listened to audiobooks and podcasts, so that I could share anything meaningful with my readers.
On the 24th September 2024, less than a year later our grandfather Bill, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones.
Bill: Photo by Robert Gray
At the service for his celebration of life, I spoke about my column and how simply by fully living his life, he had inspired me to fully live mine. I hope that by sharing these stories and letters, you will be inspired to ask yourself these questions and join me on the journey to lead a meaningful life.
💡Bonus action: Go through the 7 questions and answer with a yes or no and let me know your results in the comments below.
To transform information into wisdom,
one must perform action.
All my love,
Maddy
