Can you believe that 2014 is almost half over?! What began as a fresh, shiny year - a newly-opened journal with blank pages just begging for you to fill them with details of all your amazing adventures - is now looking a little worn around the edges. (Kind of like how many of us feel at times...!)
    This moment of panicked realisation (it's almost June!) is an opportunity to take stock of how your goals for this year are going. Or not.
    What's that you say? You have no defined goals, or the ones you have just aren't workin' for you? Well, there's no better time than the present to decide what you really want out of life - and I don't just mean that you prefer your eggs hard-boiled or your morning latte made on skim, three-quarter strength, and extra hot (oh - sorry, that's me!). 
    I'm talking about what really matters to you, what keeps you awake at night (aside from heartburn!), what you'll regret not doing when your time comes to leave this world for the next.
    Your values.
    Sure, it might be easier to follow the crowd and plan to make it to the top in your chosen career, retire before you're thirty (or forty, or...), and have a house full of shiny things.
    But will the traditional success paradigm really make you happy? 
    As we approach mid-year, take a moment out of your day to reflect on these few questions:
1. What would I miss most about my life if it was gone?
2. What makes me smile?
3. If I knew the world would end tomorrow, what would I regret not having done?
4. What's stopping me from making steps to start (or finish) it now?

    I'd love to read your answers, either in the comments below or on Facebook. 
    
    With some honest assessment and planning (even baby-steps), the second half of your 2014 will be infinitely more rewarding,  intentional, and values-oriented. Go for it!

    Ouch! Sorry, that's just the sound of 'the gods of blogging' smacking me on my hand, for disobeying the cardinal rule: blog regularly (at least weekly). NOT every six months! :/
    Now that's done with, I'll move on with this post's topic - the final instalment of my super-loooong running series on the '10 Keys to Happier Living' (for more info on this, check out my previous post here, or this cool Youtube vid).   

    'MEANING: Be part of something bigger' is the tenth item. I have to admit, it left me feeling slightly overwhelmed. I mean, how does one begin to approach the topic of why we're all here?
    *Deep breath* - so here goes...
    Taking it back to psychological research, those who have meaning and purpose in their lives are most definitely happier, and exerience less stress and depression. As outlined in a study in the Journal of Positive Psychology about 'Purpose, Hope, and Life Satisfaction', 'having identified a purpose in life was associated with greater life satisfaction at [various] stages of life'.
   While we each have a unique purpose to our lives, some key aspects can include having a religious faith (and thus having a broader view of our purpose in life), being a parent, or working to help others and make a difference in the world. 
    So, how do we find deeper meaning and purpose in our lives? Here's some tips from an excellent article in The Chicago Tribune (plus one of my own):
1. Reflection - each night, think about what activities during your day you found to be 'life-giving'.
2. Meditation - this can be as simple as finding a quiet place to reflect, and unplugging from the ever-present technology that surrounds us.
3. Journaling - writing about experiences you find both positive and negative in your life can help you to maximise the former (and minimise the latter).
4. Prayer - research shows that prayer (in whichever way is meaningful for you) can help you to remain more clear-headed and have less anxiety.
5. Outward focus - ultimately, purpose and happiness is all about relationships and helping others. Help someone else, and you just might find what you were put here on this earth to do.
    
   Over to you:
- What helps you find meaning and purpose in your life?
- Have you found your purpose yet?
I'd love to hear your thoughts over on my Facebook page, or in the comments section below. :)