Man's (Career) Search for Meaning

The following tidbit in a post from The Financial Philosopher pretty much sums up the dilemma that's been driving me needlessly insane.

Ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for." ~ Viktor Frankl

Viktor Frankl himself believed that meaning -- the meaning of a sacrifice -- could be found in suffering. I'm not so sure, however, that working in a stressful career to achieve higher monetary, material and social wealth fits Frankl's idea of finding meaning in sacrifice. Unfortunately, however, this willful sacrifice of one's mental, physical and spiritual health for that of financial health is more common today than not.

With regard to money, the basic utility of your job or career is to earn enough money to pay for food, shelter and clothing with perhaps a modest amount remaining for life's little pleasures. It is quite normal, however, to perceive the function of your career as something quite different -- as a tool to achieve material wealth far beyond what is necessary and to overlook the opportunity to do something significant -- to achieve your innermost latent desire -- to find meaning and purpose. This common sacrifice of self for money, material wealth and social status is where problems begin:

* Life goals become defined by monetary goals -- or at least you perceive that money is the primary enabler for fulfillment;
* You make your life fit the demands of your career, rather than the opposite;
* And if you hate what you do, you rationalize the stress as a sacrifice for providing for your family, your retirement goals and/or your desire to identify yourself as somebody.

One or all of the preceding points likely have some degree of relation to your existence; but what can you do about it?

Where most attempts fail to make lasting and meaningful change (i.e. diets and budgets) is where they begin. Your brain likes shortcuts -- lists of things to do -- that are quick, easy and painless. If you could take a pill to lose weight, your brain wants this. If you could read some quick tips on how to get rich and retire young, your brain wants this.

Rather than looking for shortcuts and rewards, which may be your greatest detriment as a human being, start taking small and meaningful steps toward goals, the least of which should be defined in monetary terms, if at all. Finding meaning in one's life can not be prudently obtained by shortcuts and lists of things to do. Put simply, this meaning is acquired by aligning who you are with what you do, which first requires self-knowledge.