Spirituality, Meaning and Purpose
- abhishekmrajyaguru
- Jun 17
- 4 min read
I was raised in a spiritual family in India, learning yoga and meditation from a young age. After migrating to Australia and building a successful life, I found myself feeling empty. I wasn't living according to my values or making a meaningful contribution. So I left my comfortable Australian life behind and returned to Asia to explore my spiritual roots. I meditated in Buddhist monasteries, volunteered in slums and worked on charity projects in Thailand, India and Myanmar. It was a very fulfilling spiritual journey. But something was missing: a way to share this journey in a way that was accessible to modern western audience.
Positive Psychology gave me that language. It doesn’t reject spirituality. In fact, it highlights meaning and purpose as important parts of wellbeing. Seligman’s PERMA model (2011) includes Meaning as a key component. Also, researchers have shown that people who feel a sense of purpose have higher resilience, better mental health and even lower mortality rates (Klein, 2023).
Spirituality can be considered as feeling connected to something bigger than ourselves. It gives us support and direction in life, especially in difficult times. A review by Park et al. (2017) shows that spirituality can increase hope and life satisfaction during adversity. And in PERMA+4 model, meaning is connected to our mindset and our contribution to something beyond ourselves (Cabrera & Donaldson, 2024).
In my own life, this spiritual connection helped me during many challenging life situations. But Positive Psychology helped me put that experience into action. As Frankl (1985) said, “Those who have a 'why' to live can bear almost any 'how.'” Discovering this ‘why’ has been the most rewarding parts of my journey.
One powerful self-practice I use is Best Possible Self exercise. In this exercise you imagine a best case scenario future where everything has gone as well as possible. You write about your life with purpose, strengths and values. This simple activity increases positive emotions, motivation and sense of meaning (King, 2001). I have found that it aligns very well with spiritual practices like setting intentions or visualising.
The great thing about this exercise is that anyone can do it by themselves. All you need is a pen, paper and about 15 minutes of quiet time. It helps people understand what truly matters to them and feel hopeful about their path. Research shows it can increase optimism and wellbeing, even after one session (Meevissen et al., 2011).
You can combine this with a short reflection on what gives you energy. Not just what you are good at, but what energises you in a deeper way. When you connect these dots- your values, purpose, strengths and energy sources, you can build a map for your personal development journey.
When I facilitate this exercises with groups, people sometimes remember the dreams they had forgotten about. One participant recently said, “I had forgotten how much I wanted to help migrant women find their voice. Just writing it down made me feel alive again.” That was a great reminder for me to realise how powerful it is to create space for discovering our purpose.
I also utilise some of the VIA character strengths, asking people to notice when they feel most alive. Often their top strengths show up during these activities. Recognising that can give people a good idea of who they are and what they stand for.
Spirituality does not need to be anything metaphysical or big. It can be as simple as connecting with our values and choosing actions that align with them. This is where science and spirituality can meet. Even a short reflection or journaling session can reconnect us with what truly matters for us.
Combining spiritual wisdom with modern science helps me serve a wider audience. Combining a heart-centred approach with solid evidence base, allows people from all walks of life to explore meaning and purpose. In my opinion, this integration brings about flourishing in our modern daily life.
I believe that purpose is not something we find once and hold onto forever. It is something we keep on exploring and evolving. Through simple practices like Best Possible Self, we can stay on track and be inspired. This way, we bring fulfilment in our life and help others in a meaningful way.
References:
Cabrera, V., & Donaldson, S. I. (2024). PERMA to PERMA+4 building blocks of well-being: A systematic review. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 19(3), 510–529. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2023.2208099
Frankl, V. E. (1985). Man’s search for meaning. Washington Square Press.
King, L. A. (2001). The health benefits of writing about life goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(7), 798–807.
Klein, S. (2023). How finding meaning boosts mental health. Scientific American Mind.
Meevissen, Y. M. C., Peters, M. L., & Alberts, H. J. E. M. (2011). Become more optimistic by imagining a best possible self: Effects of a two week intervention. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 42(3), 371–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2011.02.012
Park, C. L., Slattery, J. M., & Buehler, C. (2017). Religion and spirituality in adjustment to stress. Review of General Psychology, 21(1), 77–87.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish. Free Press.
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