WEBVTT - Do a meaning challenge

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to try a meaning challenge in the next

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<v Speaker 1>two weeks. Consciously build something meaningful into your life, and

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<v Speaker 1>you will probably experience time in an all new way.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip, like another this week, comes from Jody Wellman's

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<v Speaker 1>book You Only Die Once. This book, in general, is

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<v Speaker 1>about living more fully given that life inevitably ends. In

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<v Speaker 1>her books, she suggests living more broadly, that is, doing

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<v Speaker 1>more things, but also living more deeply. That's about imbuing

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<v Speaker 1>life with more meaning. Now it is possible that your

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<v Speaker 1>life is already full of meeting you are saving lives

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<v Speaker 1>in a hospital, or saving souls as a pastor or

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<v Speaker 1>something like that. If so amazing, but a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>people's lives do not have that same level of meaning

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<v Speaker 1>structurally built in. If so, it's time to take some

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<v Speaker 1>more active steps to deepen daily existence. Wellman suggests embarking

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<v Speaker 1>on a meaning challenge in the next two weeks. The

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<v Speaker 1>idea is to choose something that feels meaningful to you

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<v Speaker 1>and consciously choose to spend time on it. For instance,

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<v Speaker 1>she suggests you could volunteer over the next two weeks,

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<v Speaker 1>or she writes, it could be planning a challenging task

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<v Speaker 1>with your teenage daughter, like researching your family tree. Maybe

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<v Speaker 1>you tune into an online religious service. Perhaps you map

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<v Speaker 1>out your ideal legacy. You could call an elderly relative

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<v Speaker 1>and make a substantial connection beyond what's going on with

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<v Speaker 1>the weather. Maybe you sit at the coffee shop and

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<v Speaker 1>make a list of the top ten things I value

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<v Speaker 1>in life, really upping the anne on your self awareness.

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<v Speaker 1>You might choose a challenging task that sweeps you up

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<v Speaker 1>into the flow zone. Maybe you sit with a journal

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<v Speaker 1>and write about the impact you've made at home, at work,

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<v Speaker 1>in your community, in ways both big and small. It

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<v Speaker 1>could be seeking out an awe inspiring experience. Wellman notes

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<v Speaker 1>that the point of this meaning challenge is not to

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<v Speaker 1>do one specific thing. She says that there is no

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<v Speaker 1>wrong pathway to meaning. Remember that it's the pursuit of

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<v Speaker 1>purpose that does the mighty job of creating depth in

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<v Speaker 1>this life you get to live. So as the seasons

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<v Speaker 1>change and we start heading toward the reflective end of

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<v Speaker 1>the year, it might help to create a meaning challenge

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<v Speaker 1>for yourself. What could you do in the next two

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<v Speaker 1>weeks to make life feel more meaningful. How could you

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<v Speaker 1>devote time to that pursuit of meaning? Make your arrangements

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<v Speaker 1>and figure out the logistics. I am guessing you will

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<v Speaker 1>make the next few weeks very memorable. Indeed, in the meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

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<v Speaker 1>If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach

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<v Speaker 1>me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,

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<v Speaker 1>please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

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<v Speaker 1>listen to your favorite shows.