Thriving Through Life: Cultivating Meaning and Purpose

Kia ora koutou,

Today, we delve into the transformative power of flourishing for educators. Thank you so much for joining me.

Educators, you are the architects of change, standing against rising rates of depression and anxiety. My goal is to equip you with scientifically proven well-being techniques for your classrooms. Today, we're going to explore what it means to truly thrive in life and how we can cultivate a sense of meaning and purpose in our everyday experiences.

So, what exactly is flourishing? According to the Oxford dictionary, flourishing refers to growing or developing in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly congenial environment. But it goes beyond just physical growth—it encompasses our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being as well.

When we examine flourishing through the lens of positive psychology, we see it as a continuum, with languishing on one end and flourishing on the other. Now, let's break down each stage of this continuum and explore what it looks like in our daily lives.

At the flourishing end, it's like being at the peak of your game. You're firing on all cylinders, in focus, and able to control distractions effortlessly. Your energy levels are consistently high, and your work-life balance? Well, it's perfectly in check. It's like you're living life in full color, experiencing every moment with clarity and purpose.

But then, there's the just managing phase. It's like cruising along at a steady pace, neither flourishing nor languishing. You might find yourself getting distracted easily, procrastinating a bit, or feeling like you're just going through the motions. Your work-life balance might slip from time to time, but overall, you're keeping things afloat.

And finally, there's the surviving or languishing phase. Here, things aren't looking so great. Your work performance might suffer, you find it hard to focus, and make decisions. It feels like wading through molasses. You're just going through the motions, merely existing without any real sense of purpose or fulfilment.

I recently stumbled upon a short clip by Martin Seligman where he discussed the concept of Positive Education (PE). He highlighted a profound point: when you ask parents what they want most for their children, the answers often revolve around happiness, health, contentment, life satisfaction, and meaning. Yet, when asked about what their children learn in school, it's usually about academic subjects. In the past we’ve often left the teaching of values and things to parents, however we can see that this is not working. Firstly parents have to have this understanding themselves to be able to pass it on to their children and secondly we have to face the fact that parents are much busier now than they were a decade or two ago. As educators we are with their children for such a big percentage of the day that our opportunity to teach these subjects embedded into our classroom practice is paramount.

And here's the thing—happiness, good relationships, engagement, and meaning. They're all measurable and teachable! Research has shown time and again that happy children perform better academically. So, as educators, it's high time we embrace this holistic approach to education.

Over the past month, we've delved into the importance of building relationships and nurturing positive emotions. Today, let's shine a spotlight on cultivating a sense of meaning and purpose within our classrooms.

Now, let's talk about Viktor Frankl, a true pioneer in meaning theory. He was not just an Austrian psychiatrist but also a Holocaust survivor who founded logotherapy—a psychotherapy focused on finding meaning in life's challenges.

Frankl's masterpiece, "Man's Search for Meaning," is a gripping memoir based on his experiences in Nazi concentration camps. In it, he famously said that even in the face of unimaginable adversity, we still possess one last human freedom: the power to choose our attitude and our own way forward.

According to Frankl, finding meaning and purpose isn't just a luxury—it's a necessity, especially during life's darkest moments. And sometimes, when we find ourselves stuck in the mire, it's best to take a step back, stop fretting over the grand scheme of things, and focus on creating something new or nurturing our relationships and attitudes.

So, my wonderful educators, let's embark on this journey together—towards a life filled with meaning, purpose, and of course, flourishing. Because remember, it's not just about surviving; it's about thriving. And together, we can make it happen.

Now, let's dive deeper into the concept of flourishing and explore some practical strategies for cultivating meaning and purpose in our lives.

Research has shown that people who feel their lives are filled with meaning and purpose are happier, healthier, and more resilient in the face of adversity.

One of the key elements of flourishing is optimal performance—being "on top of the game," so to speak. This means being in a state of flow, where you're fully immersed in your tasks and able to control distractions with ease. But how do we achieve this state of flow in our everyday lives?

Classroom Activities

Meaning Activities for the classroom

• Recognising the interests and talents of students so that students can connect their learning with their own sense of purpose increases motivation and engagement. Little Meaning Big Meaning Activity - Write down as many things as you can that provide meaning in your life. Anything could go on this list – for example, you could include: Family, Friends, Work, Climate Change, Education, Politics, Animal Protection, Eating Healthy, Safety in playgrounds, Books, Plays, Health, Supporting the Elderly, Spending time with your neighbour…

  Once you have completed the list, create your own 'meaning-meter' based on the three components of meaning (i.e., significance, coherence, purpose) – for each item in the list, identify whether it is carrying a “Little” or “Big” meaning in your life. In other words, is it a prominent source of meaning (Big) or a minor source (Little)? 

• Meaning Venn Diagram - write down all of the things that are important to you at school in one circle and at home in the other. Can you see areas where these two things overlap? Can you use this knowledge to create more meaning in the work you do at school?

• Top 5 Meaningful Moments List the top 5 most meaningful moments of your life and write a paragraph (for each one) explaining why they were meaningful to you. Describe in detail what happened and how it felt. Include a description of the contribution you made to your experience of this moment. Afterwards, brainstorm some ideas on how you might be able to re-create similar moments in your life in the future.

• Self-Worth A sense of self-worth is one of Baumeister’s 4 pillars of a meaningful life. To remind yourself of everything that makes your life worthwhile, make a list of as many reasons as you can that make your life worth existing. Write down at least 10 items. Share your ideas with friends to help come up with ideas

  To illustrate this list and have it ready as a reminder, carry out one of the following: 

• Get a blank set of cards and dedicate each of the items from your list to a different card. You may simply write the word or sentence onto the card, or you may draw an image or be creative in other ways. This will be your self-worth deck of cards. Whenever you feel low or need a boost of self-worth, you can draw a random card from this deck to remind yourself your life has meaning.. 

• On your phone or computer, create a folder or picture album. Next, choose images from the internet or take pictures of things that represent each item on your list. Keep this folder handy so you can access it anytime. 

• Find images or post cards that represent each item on your list, write a few words or a short paragraph on the back of each image or card to remind yourself what it represents, and stick them into a collage to hang on your wall or pop them somewhere you will see them regularly

So, my dear friends, as we journey through life, let's remember that flourishing is not just a destination but a way of being. By cultivating positive habits, nurturing our relationships, and living with intention, we can create lives filled with meaning, purpose, and of course, flourishing and by explicitly teaching these skills in our classrooms we can set up our students for a life of intention and purpose.

Over the next month when you buy a copy of The Classroom Connections Project you will get instant access to the CCP facebook group where teachers like you share valuable insights into how they are using the Classroom Connections Project to make a real difference in their classroom. Don’t miss out head to my website today.

Of course if you haven’t already, download Six Simple Ways to Classroom Well-being. Please follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more ideas, tips and techniques for exploring Flourishing and many other topics related to classroom well-being.

Thank you for being champions of well-being for the children in your care. Flourishing through Positive Education is an ongoing journey, and I encourage you to continue exploring, learning, and implementing these strategies in your classrooms.Until next time, let's continue building a future where every child realises their unlimited potential.

Take care, and ka kite!