In general, happy life and meaningful life may seem like the same thing, but they are not. The two may go hand in hand, however, happy life is not always meaningful, and vice versa. For a satisfying life, both physically and mentally, it can be helpful to balance aspects of both a meaningful and happy life. More help surrounding happiness and finding meaning is available on GoMarry.com.
Satisfying Wants And Needs
For a happy life, most of your daily needs and wants should be satisfied. On the contrary, a meaningful life appears to hold little value to things such as wealth, personal well-being, or easy living. This is one of the largest differences and proves that a meaningful life goes beyond the daily necessities and does not give value to material things.
Past, Present, And Future
Meaningfulness tends to last longer than happiness, which is often short-lived. Similar to this, a meaningful life takes into consideration a much longer period, encompassing the past, present, and future. A happy life, on the other hand, focuses much more on the current moment. When trying to obtain a satisfying life, we must consider not only the immediate consequences of our actions and choices but also the long-lasting consequences; which helps us create a happy and meaningful life.
Read This: Living in the Past: How it Fractures Your Relationship
Giving Versus Receiving
The most meaningful things in life generally come from the things we do or give to others; actions such as working for a charity, for example, are things which result in more meaning in our lives. Happiness usually results from the things we receive or achieve; for example when receiving a gift or award, our happiness increases and results in a happier life at that moment.
Difficult Or Easy
On most occasions, easy life is a happy one. Daily struggles and challenges generally harm happiness but appear to have a positive effect on a meaningful life. Things such as stress, anxiety, and doubt are all higher in people living a meaningful life, as important things can often be challenging and worrying at the same time. Taking this all into consideration, it seems that taking part in things that are difficult for you, and that you cannot necessarily control, are good for increasing the meaningfulness of a person’s life. However, these situations possibly decrease happiness as they are things that may be seen as negative. It is therefore a good thing if you can find a balance between challenging yourself and staying happy to create an ultimately satisfying life.
Being Yourself
Unfortunately, being true to yourself may result in a backlash from other people who do not agree with your way of life or way of expressing yourself, thus negatively influencing your happiness. However, expressing yourself is extremely important to live a meaningful life. Being honest about who you are, where you come from, and what you think are all things that help bring meaning to your life. Through this meaning, you may find it easier to find happiness, and build the satisfying life you are striving for.
