In case you haven’t read my latest newsletter here’s a blog about Hugh Mackay’s latest book called Beyond Belief – How we find meaning, with or without religion (Pan Macmillan, 2016).
Hugh Mackay once again uses his combination of quantitative research and case studies from his qualitative research to show that the desire of we humans for a life of meaning remains as strong as ever. This is what he calls a good life which, by his definition, is a life lived for the wellbeing of others as well as for ourselves.
One of the gems I gleaned from Beyond Belief was the fact that researchers have found that it is a sense of meaningfulness that brings life’s deepest satisfactions, rather than a bigger house or a new car. For example, Mackay refers to Martin Seligman’s research that led him to conclude that faith in something larger than ourselves is the one necessary condition for us to find a sense of meaning in life.
These findings remind me of three things that make for a good life that I shared in this newsletter many moons ago. A psychiatrist talking on ABC Radio National back then had said that he believed that we humans need:
- someone to love,
- something to look forward to, and
- something meaningful to do.
If you’re struggling to answer those three questions for yourself AnD could help you find your path towards your good life through our Vision Coaching process.
