Discovering a Life of Meaning
Past Event
Real conversations. Real questions. Real purpose.
Following our first Food for Thought gathering, Seek Purpose hosted Food for Thought II: Discovering a Life of Meaning — an evening dedicated to exploring one of life’s most important questions:
What makes life meaningful?
Through open conversation, reflection, and shared perspectives, we explored how meaning is built into our everyday lives — and what can happen when we lose sight of it.
The evening encouraged participants to Reflect. Discuss. Grow. and to look beyond the usual measures of success, achievement, and happiness to consider the deeper elements that give our lives direction and significance.
The Three Pillars of Meaning
A meaningful life can be understood through three interconnected pillars:
1. Coherence – Does My Life Make Sense?
Coherence is our ability to make sense of our experiences and see how the different pieces of our lives fit together.
Our stories are not always straightforward. We experience successes, disappointments, changes, relationships, losses, and unexpected turns.
We explored questions such as:
How do I make sense of my story?
How do my experiences fit together?
Can I find meaning even in the difficult parts of my journey?
2. Purpose – What Am I Living For?
Purpose gives us direction. It is about having something meaningful to move toward and a reason to get up and engage with life.
Purpose isn’t necessarily about having one grand mission. It can be found in the people we love, the work we do, the communities we contribute to, and the ways we make a difference.
We reflected on:
What am I working toward?
Who or what needs me?
What gives direction to my life?
3. Significance – Does My Life Matter?
Significance is the sense that our lives matter — that we have value and that our existence makes a difference.
It isn’t necessarily about fame, recognition, or accomplishments. Sometimes significance is found in the lives we touch, the relationships we build, and the small acts of kindness and contribution that may never receive recognition.
Where do I find my sense of worth?
Who is better off because I am here?
What difference do I want my life to make?
Together, coherence, purpose, and significance form a powerful framework for exploring a life of meaning.
The Meaning Doom Loop
We also explored the idea of the “Doom Loop” — the cycle that can develop when we use quick distractions to escape boredom, discomfort, or difficult feelings.
Technology and constant stimulation can give us something to occupy our attention whenever we feel bored or uncomfortable. But when distraction becomes our automatic response, it can prevent us from sitting with ourselves, thinking deeply, and asking the questions that help us discover meaning.
The result can become a cycle:
Boredom or discomfort → distraction → temporary relief → deeper emptiness → more distraction.
Instead of allowing ourselves the space to reflect, we reach for another notification, another scroll, another source of stimulation.
Breaking that cycle means becoming comfortable with moments of stillness — creating space to think, wonder, connect, and ask questions that don’t have quick answers.
Me-Self vs. I-Self
Another powerful idea we explored was the difference between the Me-self and the I-self.
The Me-Self: Looking Inward
The Me-self is the part of us that focuses on ourselves as an object — how we look, how we are perceived, what we have achieved, and what others think about us.
It asks:
How am I doing?
How do I look to others?
Am I successful enough?
What do people think of me?
Our modern world can make it very easy to remain trapped in this constant self-observation.
The I-Self: Looking Outward
The I-self is different. It is the part of us that experiences and observes the world around us.
Instead of constantly asking “What do I get?”, we begin asking:
“What can I give?”
“Who can I help?”
“What can I contribute?”
What can I appreciate beyond myself?
Moving from the Me-self toward the I-self can open the door to connection, service, awe, and transcendence — experiences that take us beyond constant self-focus. Arthur Brooks describes this shift as moving from seeing ourselves as the object of attention toward looking outward at the world.
A Conversation, Not a Lecture
Food for Thought II was designed as a space for real conversations and real questions.
There were no easy answers and no expectation that everyone would see things the same way.
Instead, we created space to explore the questions that often get lost in the rush of everyday life:
What makes my life meaningful?
What am I living for?
Does my life matter?
Am I spending too much time looking at myself — and not enough time looking outward?
What would change if I created more space for meaning in my life?
Event Details
Date: July 30, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Wet Café
Address: 111 Kerr St., Oakville, ON L6K 3A4
Food for Thought II
At Seek Purpose, we believe that discovering purpose is not about finding one perfect answer. It is a journey of asking better questions, understanding ourselves, connecting with others, and discovering how we can live a life that truly matters.
