Life Worth Living

🌟Weekly Inspiration🌟

I went to a funeral this week and it was a great reminder about what makes for a meaningful life. During the service, many family members and friends shared stories about this person’s character, favorite memories, and what they loved and appreciated about him. It was beautiful ❤️.  

Takeaways for me:

*He was a family man
*Family traditions together were treasured, looked forward to, and enjoyed fully
*Simple, ordinary moments were the key
*Fun and a sense of humor were important
*A little risk-taking in his youth made for great reminiscing 
*Romantic love can last a lifetime
*A sense of legacy was developed over many years in small moments
*No discussion of degrees/material wealth/career accomplishments (and there could have been)

So often in our practice, we are working with anxious and depressed youth. I think it’s important to talk to these young people about what makes for a meaningful life. Sometimes if we begin with the end in mind, we start to figure out how we actually want to spend our time living 💡. Funerals are a reminder of this concept. Recently, in my Young Adult Group Therapy, we have begun working through some Discussion Questions from LIFE WORTH LIVING: A GUIDE TO WHAT MATTERS MOST by Volf, Croasmun, and McAnnally-Linz. This book was created from the professors of a popular class offered at Yale.  We consider some existential topics, make space for them to explore ideas of identity/calling/meaning/connection, and help them to think beyond themselves. I love being a part of these conversations!

Ask Yourself:

What makes for a meaningful life?
How do I want to be remembered at the end of my life?
Am I on track for myself? Any small shifts that I can make?
Do I get caught focusing on the wrong things sometimes?
If my child is depressed or anxious, how can I gently help them to shift their thinking beyond themselves and their symptoms?
When I feel out of sorts myself, what gets me back on track with myself?

Be well.