Lost your mojo? Looking for a bit more meaning in life? Here are three easy ways to find your spark again.

What is the meaning of life? It’s the million dollar question right?

Well stop holding your breath – I don’t have the answer! But I do know some quick and easy ways for you to get on the right path to finding it.

The million dollar question.

The great philosophers of the world have struggled to define the purpose of life and I’m certainly not suggesting I’ve done any better! But they do tend to circle around whether it’s happiness or meaning (or that there’s no meaning – but I’m not in that camp!). I’d argue that we need both. That happiness and meaning are intrinsically connected. That we need to have one to have the other. And that although, temporarily, we might have one without the other, in the long term this won’t last.

Some days we can wake up full of gratitude and purpose. Life is good!

Other days, we can wake up feeling a little empty. A little lost. Or a little lonely (or a lot! it happens to all of us!). And that’s what we’re going to talk about today. Some easy tips to help get your mojo back and a little depth back into your day.

Some great places to start!

These three tips can give you a kick start in drawing more meaning into your life without having to go out searching for it. Through expression, creation and relation you’ll have your mojo back in no time! Focus on one, or give all three a try!

Express Yourself

The action of making known one’s thoughts or feelings.

Expression is an important part of life. It’s how we engage with the world around us. It’s how we show what we are thinking or feeling and how the world can get to know us. And there are plenty of ways we can express ourselves. Dancing, singing, writing or just chatting with our friends!

If you’re feeling a bit disconnected, starting a journal is a quick easy way to begin expressing yourself. I personally don’t journal every day, although it is a great habit to get into. But I do carry a journal in my handbag and when I’m feeling stressed or uncertain about a decision ahead of me, or just overloaded, I find a quiet spot to sit and I just starting writing. It doesn’t have to be just about the problem in front of you, it can just be anything you feel like writing. Sometimes my words come out to the tune of my favourite song, sometimes they are just bullet points, sometimes they are just the thoughts running around in my head. They’ll stop circling once they are on the paper and you’ll find space for new thoughts to find their way in.

The idea is just to get into a flow – to let words fall out onto the paper that you didn’t even know were there. You might surprise yourself!

Creativity

The action or process of bringing something into existence.

We are born creative beings, but we don’t always recognise this. You might not consider yourself creative, but it’s just about connecting with our imaginations. While the left side of our brain is responsible for analysing and logic, when we use our imagination and create, our right side of the brain becomes engaged. If you are worrying about something in your life, this might be just the thing to give the left side of your brain a rest!

Find something that you enjoy doing, it might be cooking, crafting, sewing, gardening, painting, writing… the list is endless! Perhaps you think you’re “no good” at painting, but if you want to give it a try, start something easy like painting a flower pot a nice bright colour. Or maybe you like writing but you don’t know where to start. Write a short story that is just for you. You never need to publish it, print it out, or even show anyone. Pick a genre you wouldn’t normally pick. Remember, no one needs to see it!

Creating something just for the sake of creating it, not for any other reason, can bring you just as much joy as presenting it to the world. Plus you might find yourself a new hobby!

Relating

The way in which two or more people or things are connected; a thing’s effect on or relevance to another.

And lastly, but by no means least, we are born to know each other. It is a fundamental element of our society. Understanding each other develops compassion and empathy, and draws us away from an ego driven life where we only think of ourselves. It’s lonely there! Our only way of perceiving the world is in relation to those around us.

While expressing ourselves is about finding your own voice, relating to others is about letting them find theirs. It will do you both good! Catch up with an old friend for coffee or strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know well at work, or at the school gate at pick up. Practice your listening skills –

• don’t wait until they have finished talking just so that you can tell them your story
• listen to what they are saying and ask questions to make sure you understand
• consider how they are feeling as they speak, and
• keep an open mind.

Life is always going to be full of ups and downs and it’s ok to not be super happy every day. But we are also responsible for ourselves – our emotions, our behaviour and how we react to situations around us. So try out one of the tips above when you need to get your mojo back! Expressing, creating and relating will bring purpose and meaning back into your life and you’ll be smiling again in no time!

Do these resonate with you? What do you do to lift yourself up when you’re feeling flat?