Meaning According to Daniel Pink

Presented by: Corrie Hill and David Cook

History of the search for Meaning

• Viktor Frankl- Man’s Search for Meaning• Man’s main concern is not to gain pleasure or

to avoid pain but rather to see a meaning in his life.

• Meaning can grow from suffering• Frankls experience in Auschwitz gave him

added insight to this concept creating

The Search for Meaning Today

• 58% of Americans say they think often about the meaning and purpose of life.

• Post-materialism- the current direction of our society• Shift in want from material to meaning

• Why?• We are freed from the struggle to survive• Baby boomers finishing first ½ of life• Technology

Taking Spirituality Seriously

• One way of searching for meaning

• Science and Business realize the importance of spirituality • MIT

• Science and Buddhism have a lot in common. pg 221 first paragraph

• 3 out of 5 adults believe a greater sense of spirituality would improve their workplace.

• Spirituality as business (yoga, green products)

Taking Happiness Seriously

• The second way to find meaning

• Positive Psychology- attention on satisfaction and well-being vs. disorder/dysfunction

• What causes happiness?• Biology• Satisfying work• Gratitude • Forgiveness• Avoiding negative emotions and events

Three forms of Happiness

• Pleasant Life• Life full of positive emotions• Optimism, social network

• Good Life• Use your signature strengths to achieve• Have a calling and act upon it

• Pursuit of Meaning• Knowing what your highest strengths are and

deploying them for a higher purpose• Greatest amount of happiness occurs in this form

Labyrinths

• A labyrinth is a spiral walking course

• The goal is to follow the path until you reach the middle and then turn back to exit

• They engage the right brain and promote creative thinking• Left brain is busy walking the path

• Currently being used in hospitals and other institutions for meditation and therapy

Labyrinths

Promote Meaning in Your Life

• Say Thanks• Create gratitude letters and lists

• Gain Perspective• Would you be doing what you do if you

had $20 million and only 10 years to live?

• Measure Your Spirit• Self-assessments (pg. 238)

More Ways…

• But Out• Compile a list of changes

• EX) I would like to eat better, but I am too busy to cook.

• Now change the but to and • Rewrite and think of a solution• EX) I would like to eat better, and I am too busy

to cook, so I will pre-make meals on Sundays.

• Take a Sabbath• Not a new concept but an often forgotten one

Even More Ways…

• Check Your Time• Make a list of the things in your life that

are most important.• Cross-check that list with your

planner/calendar

• Picture Yourself at 90• A great way to think about what you

need to do.

We are not human

beings on a spiritual path, but spiritual beings on a human path.

- Dr. Lauren Artress, Episcopal Priest and

labyrinth pioneer