What is the meaning of life?

It seems like my loved one is losing her zest for life. What activities are beneficial?

What a big question that is! Have you pondered it before for yourself? Perhaps at various stages in your life. Maybe you have reached an answer and maybe it still eludes you. If it has, I encourage you to keep searching for an answer that feels right for you.

The answer that feels right for me is Meaningful Work. I believe that all humans have a deep desire for Meaningful Work. It can take many forms. It can be your career, your family duties, whatever and however you express who you are. There is a positive outcome because of your Meaningful Work and it usually involves or impacts another person in some way. It feels good to do something that another person will find enjoyment in or benefit from.

I don’t believe we ever finish our Meaningful Work. We don’t retire from it –it just changes form. Our desire for it never leaves but it can get stifled. Our expectations, our health, the people we keep around us, the environment we live in may impact our desire to do Meaningful Work. Sometimes we can change those elements that stifle it so the desire can be expressed. We can also modify our Meaningful Work to accommodate obstacles that cannot be changed. 

Seniors are no different. Their obstacles can include not only health issues, transportation, encouragement from others to go for it, but also having access to the opportunity to do Meaningful Work. Seniors living in many care facilities and retirement residences have many of the household tasks done for them. While the benefits of having housekeeping and cooks is obvious, the seniors have to ensure their Meaningful Work is expressed in other ways. This takes some creativity and perhaps encouragement from others. It is too easy to “not bother” and have their world get a little smaller and their desires stifled.

Activities are needed to engage the mind, extend their abilities and keep them moving. Use your loved one’s life story to figure out what activities and topics of interest would be great to bring back into their life –even if they need to be modified a bit to accommodate their current circumstance. Explore and play. Ensure that your loved ones have access to express themselves through Meaningful Work. Watch them shine!