Meaning Doesn’t Come From Within — It Comes From This

I used to think I wanted to be a millionaire.

I even boasted about my ambitions to my colleagues at the time, and proudly told them “my goal is to make one million dollars” (such a stupid thing to do.)

But I was still a kid back then, 25 years of age. I was influenced by Youtubers who made money from talking about money. I had many blind spots about my own preferences, and what I wanted out of life.

Here’s what I needed to know back then:

1/ Your work might not be the only thing that brings meaning to your life

I want kids. Without them I won’t have too much drive to push forward. What for? I can provide for myself, work on projects I’m passionate about (writing, advertising), and live my life in relative prosperity. I’m not rich, but I have a lot of free time on my hands. Despite all the hardship, I’m free to do almost anything I want.

And still, something’s missing. I want a wife, three or four children, a house and my own land.

Alongside my work, I believe these things could make my life feel like a 24/7 vacation.

We’re told to find our passion as it would make us feel whole.

But sometimes passion and work are just a part of a meaningful life.

2/ Meaning comes from helping others or taking care of them

That’s what I’m starting to realize.

I’ve been struggling to find a path lately, and realized I must think about “purpose” and “meaning” differently. These things don’t just “come to you”, as if anything in life can make you feel purposeful.

No, meaning comes from helping others. It’s your sense of influence on others, and the ability to help them that matters. If you’re searching for meaning, you must think outside of yourself. It can’t just be about making money or “thinking bigger.”

Do it for yourself- and for others as well.

3/ The key is to know yourself

Everybody’s built different.

My passions are different from yours, and what’s meaningful to me could seem a complete waste of time for someone else. For example, not everyone wants kids. Some people prefer to focus on themselves and do whatever they want. And that’s fine of course.

Others live and die for work. I remember NVIDIA’s CEO once said, “I work seven days a week, and when I’m not working, I’m thinking about working.” No wonder he is a billionaire. You can’t copy someone else. The key is to experiment and find your own path, with your own definition of meaning.

You gain clarity about who you are by moving forward.

You are a unique entity, and I believe one of the most import things in life is to find your own goal and path

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This post was previously published on medium.com.