How to Make Life More Meaningful
The Science of Happiness
Do You Have a Climbing Challenge?
I'm 41 and I'm still climbing at a high level, but it's like now's the time. One of the real strengths of the exercise is to talk to other people about your goals. It helps people adhere to those. And so really trying to kind of like balance my personal passion for climbing but also be there as a dad,.
Chris Sharma is one of the greatest rock climbers of all time, and he's taking on some of the biggest challenges in life: becoming a parent and starting his own business. Chris tries a practice shown to help us craft our own path and purpose in life.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/pdtkffuv
Episode summary:
Chris Sharma spent his youth traveling the globe and becoming one of the greatest rock climbers of all time. His passion for climbing has filled his life with purpose, but now in middle age, he wants to also focus on other sources of meaning in life that are just as important to him. Chris joins us after trying a practice in life crafting — where you get clear on your values, imagine what your ideal life would look like, and make a plan to get closer to that vision. Later in the show, we hear from Michael Steger, a psychologist and director of the Center for Meaning and Purpose at Colorado State University, about the surprising places in our lives we can find meaning, and the different roads we can take towards living a more meaningful life.
Try the Life Crafting Practice:
Identify your deepest values and passions — what’s most important to you.
Reflect on your ideal future: Write a paragraph envisioning how you’d like your social life or your career path to turn out if you had no constraints.
Write down how you’ll attain those goals. Prioritize them, and write “if, then” plans for how you’ll overcome obstacles you’re likely to encounter.
Make a public commitment. Tell your community about your goals.
Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:
https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/life_crafting
Today’s guests:
Chris Sharma is an elite rock climber known for traveling the world to find the most beautiful and challenging places to rock climb.
His new show The Climb premieres on HBO on January 12. Check out the trailer here: https://tinyurl.com/suz35w8y
Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris_sharma/
Check out his website: http://www.chrissharma.com/
Michael Steger is a professor of psychology at Colorado State University, where he is the director of the Center for Meaning and Purpose.
Learn more about Steger’s work: http://www.michaelfsteger.com/
Follow Steger on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/yc79d6mb
Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
Michael Steger: Why We Search for Meaning: https://tinyurl.com/2s469242
Here’s How to Find Meaning in Your Midlife Crisis: https://tinyurl.com/4kpcnr9c
What Our Photos Say About Us (Podcast): https://tinyurl.com/y56wvj42
Purpose in Life Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/yz4ztenp
Living with a Purpose Changes Everything: https://tinyurl.com/d3ea7afa
More On Meaning and Purpose:
The Atlantic - The Meaning of Life Is Surprisingly Simple: https://tinyurl.com/2yfucadj
Pew - Where Americans Find Meaning in Life: https://tinyurl.com/nek5j6tk
Scientific American - To Feel Meaningful Is To Feel Immortal: https://tinyurl.com/yuhe99m9
NPR - What's Your Purpose? https://tinyurl.com/465aknec
Harvard Business Review: What Is the Purpose of Your Purpose? https://tinyurl.com/43pjrc6j
Tell us about how you find meaning in your life. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Help us share The Science of Happiness!
Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
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