Living a Meaningful Life Without Purpose PDF Download

Author: Gershon Winkler
Publisher: Balboa Press
ISBN: 198220611X
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 97

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Book Description
To describe what this book is about would defeat its purpose since it is about living a meaningful life without purpose. Purpose is overrated, writes the author. What is it your business what purpose God or intelligent design or Darwin had in mind when the idea of you came up? What makes you think that your right to life hangs on some kind of particular task and that you were specifically hired to perform it? And anyway, if you know why you are here, what would be the point in you being here, altogether? Basically, you are here for the purpose of not knowing why. So deal with it. We are indeed living very much in a purpose-driven culture that has all but robbed us of the gift of meaning and replaced it with the urgency of purpose. As a result, more and more of us are judging one another not for who we are but for what weve accomplished and for what sort of justification weve come up with for existing. Thus, people rarely ask So tell me about yourself. Rather, its mostly You got a card? To paraphrase comedian Jackie Mason, Everybody is handing out business cards, but the only ones making a living are the printers. The search for purpose becomes more urgent when we feel we exist by no choice of our own because when things get rough, there better be sufficient justification for being here that makes going through this shit worthwhile. On the other hand, when we focus on meaning rather than on purpose, we liberate ourselves from the constraints of the have-tos and breathe in the pristine gift of the moment and of each phase in the magic of our life unfolding.

Author: Jody Day
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 150980904X
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 377

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Book Description
‘The book to recommend to patients when they face coming to terms with unavoidable childlessness.' – British Medical Journal In Living the Life Unexpected, Jody Day addresses the experience of involuntary childlessness and provides a powerful, practical guide to help those negotiating a future without children come to terms with their grief; a grief that is only just beginning to be recognized by society. This friendly, practical, humorous and honest guide from one of the world’s most respected names in childless support offers compassion and understanding and shows how it’s possible to move towards a creative, happy, meaningful and fulfilling future – even if it’s not the one you had planned. Millions of people are now living a life without children, almost double that of a generation ago and the numbers are rising still. Although some are childfree by choice, many others are childless due to infertility or circumstance and are struggling to come to terms with their uncertain future. Although most people think that those without children either 'couldn't' or 'didn't want’ to be parents, the truth is much more complex. Jody Day was forty-four when she realized that her quest to be a mother was at an end. She presumed that she was through the toughest part, but over the next couple of years she was hit by waves of grief, despair and isolation. Eventually she found her way and in 2011 created Gateway Women, the global friendship and support network for childless women which has now helped almost two million people worldwide. This edition, previously titled Rocking the Life Unexpected, has been extensively revised and updated, with significant additional content and case studies from forty involuntarily childless people (mostly women) from around the world.

Author: William Bill Damon
Publisher: Templeton Foundation Press
ISBN: 1599470489
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 113

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Book Description
This book describes the personal and spiritual benefits of living life in a way that matters, with an awareness that one's life can reflect a sense of higher purpose no matter what the circumstances. The book draws upon religious, philosophical, and literary writings to show how humans in many cultures and historical epochs have pursued noble purposes by answering God's call as each hears it. Noble purpose can be pursued both in heroic acts and in everyday behavior. The book shows how ordinary people—teachers, business professionals, parents, citizens—can ennoble what they do by being mindful of its deepest meaning. It also points out that humility is a necessary virtue for those who pursue a noble purpose. Great heroes are bold, courageous, and sometimes audacious in their determination to succeed; but they are also humble in their awareness of their own limitations. Moreover, a person must never violate basic moral laws while pursuing a noble purpose—the means must be as moral as the ends. Purpose brings coherence and satisfaction to people's lives, producing joy in good times and resilience in hard times. It also presents a paradox: hard work in service of noble purpose that transcends personal gain is a surer path to happiness than the self-indulgent pursuit of happiness for its own sake. The closer we come to God's purpose for us, the more satisfied our lives become. From the inspiration and examples conveyed in this book, we learn that all individuals have the capacity to discover their own God-given abilities, to learn the world's need for the services they can provide, and to experience joy in serving society and God in their special ways. As theologian Frederick Buechner writes, "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."

Author: Simon Jacobson
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 9780062856975
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
Toward a Meaningful Life is a spiritual road map for living based on the teachings of one of the foremost religious leaders of our time: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Head of the Lubavitcher movement for forty-four years and recognized throughout the world simply as “the Rebbe,” Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who passed away in June 1994, was a sage and a visionary of the highest order. Toward a Meaningful Life gives people of all backgrounds fresh perspectives on every aspect of their lives—from birth to death, youth to old age; marriage, love, intimacy, and family; the persistent issues of career, health, pain, and suffering; and education, faith, science, and government. We learn to bridge the divisions between accelerated technology and decelerated morality, between unprecedented worldwide unity and unparalleled personal disunity. Although the Rebbe’s teachings are firmly anchored in more than three thousand years of scholarship, the urgent relevance of these old-age truths to contemporary life has never been more manifest. At the threshold of a new world where matter and spirit converge, the Rebbe proposes spiritual principles that unite people as opposed to the materialism that divides them. In doing so, he continues to lead us toward personal and universal redemption, toward a meaningful life, and toward God.

Author: Susan Wolf
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691154503
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
A fresh reflection on what makes life meaningful Most people, including philosophers, tend to classify human motives as falling into one of two categories: the egoistic or the altruistic, the self-interested or the moral. According to Susan Wolf, however, much of what motivates us does not comfortably fit into this scheme. Often we act neither for our own sake nor out of duty or an impersonal concern for the world. Rather, we act out of love for objects that we rightly perceive as worthy of love—and it is these actions that give meaning to our lives. Wolf makes a compelling case that, along with happiness and morality, this kind of meaningfulness constitutes a distinctive dimension of a good life. Written in a lively and engaging style, and full of provocative examples, Meaning in Life and Why It Matters is a profound and original reflection on a subject of permanent human concern.

Author: Joshua Fields Millburn
Publisher: Asymmetrical Press
ISBN: 0615648223
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 111

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Book Description
Minimalism is the thing that gets us past the things so we can make room for life's most important things—which actually aren't things at all. At age 30, best friends Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus walked away from their six-figure corporate careers, jettisoned most of their material possessions, and started focusing on what's truly important. In their debut book, Joshua & Ryan, authors of the popular website The Minimalists, explore their troubled pasts and descent into depression. Though they had achieved the American Dream, they worked ridiculous hours, wastefully spent money, and lived paycheck to paycheck. Instead of discovering their passions, they pacified themselves with ephemeral indulgences—which only led to more debt, depression, and discontent. After a pair of life-changing events, Joshua & Ryan discovered minimalism, allowing them to eliminate their excess material things so they could focus on life's most important "things": health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution.

Author: Rick Warren
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310329337
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
Discover and fulfill your God-given purpose by joining the more than thirty-five million others who have embarked on a spiritual journey that started with this #1 New York Times bestselling book by Pastor Rick Warren. Before you were born, God knew what your life had in store for you. His hope for you is to discover the life he created just for you--both here on earth, and forever in eternity. Let Rick Warren guide you as you learn to live out your true purpose. The Purpose Driven Life is more than a book; it's a road map for your spiritual journey. Combining thoughtful verses from Scripture with timely stories and perspectives from Warren's own life, The Purpose Driven Life will help you discover the answer to one of life's most important questions: What on earth am I here for? Throughout The Purpose Driven Life, Warren will teach you to spend time getting to know yourself and your creator in order to live your life to the fullest. Unlocking your true purpose will also reduce your stress, simplify your decisions, increase your satisfaction, and, most importantly, prepare you for eternity. Designed to be read over the course of forty-two days, The Purpose Driven Life will help you see the big picture, giving you a fresh perspective on the way that the pieces of your life fit together. Every chapter of The Purpose Driven Life provides a daily meditation and practical steps to help you uncover and live out your purpose, starting with exploring three essential questions: The Question of Existence: Why am I alive? The Question of Significance: Does my life matter? The Question of Purpose: What on earth am I here for? Each copy of The Purpose Driven Life also includes thoughtful discussion questions, audio Bible studies that go along with every chapter, and access to a supportive online community, giving you the opportunity to dive even deeper into each life-changing lesson.

Author: Todd May
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022623570X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
“A tour de force. It is a thoughtful, subtle, beautifully written discussion of what it takes to live a meaningful life.” —Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice Throughout history most of us have looked to faith, relationships, or deeds to give our lives purpose. But in A Significant Life, philosopher Todd May offers an exhilarating new way of thinking about meaning, one deeply attuned to life as it actually is: a work in progress, a journey—and often a narrative. Offering moving accounts of his own life alongside rich engagements with philosophers from Aristotle to Heidegger, he shows us where to find the significance of our lives: in the way we live them. May starts by looking at the fundamental fact that life unfolds over time, and as it does so, it begins to develop certain qualities, certain themes. Our lives can be marked by intensity, curiosity, perseverance, or many other qualities that become guiding narrative values. These values lend meanings to our lives that are distinct from—but also interact with—the universal values we are taught to cultivate, such as goodness or happiness. Offering a fascinating examination of a broad range of figures—from music icon Jimi Hendrix to civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, from cyclist Lance Armstrong to The Portrait of a Lady’s Ralph Touchett to Claus von Stauffenberg, a German officer who tried to assassinate Hitler—May shows that narrative values offer a rich variety of criteria by which to assess a life, specific to each of us and yet widely available. They offer us a way of reading ourselves, who we are, and who we might like to be.

Author: Alisoun MacKenzie
Publisher: Alisoun MacKenzie
ISBN: 9780993075223
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 194

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Book Description
The Give-to-Profit model is an authentic and potent way to turn your business into a force for good. Whether you'd like to raise funds for charity, volunteer, find a cause to support, buy social or are simply looking for ideas, this book will help you step forward with confidence - no matter what stage of business you're at right now.

Author: Steven Mintz
Publisher: Ethics Sage LLC
ISBN: 1642376302
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 199

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Book Description
Should you make provocative comments on social media? Should you act in your own self-interest and ignore others? How can you develop meaningful relationships in life and the workplace? Should you or should you not? These are the questions of ethical behavior. In Beyond Happiness and Meaning, Dr. Steven Mintz will show you how to make decisions that make life worth living. It goes beyond enhancing our own well-being to improving the lives of others. Life is a contact sport that requires us to leave our comfort zone and engage with others, learn how to do good things, make the right choices, and follow the ethical path. At the end of the journey, you will learn how to transform your life and achieve true happiness and meaning. Unique in its approach and rich with everyday ethical dilemmas, Mintz brings to life the process of ethical decision-making that can improve your life and the life of others and bring back civility to society.