Always Ask, “is It Meaningful?”

The other day I picked up the book by Dennis Prager “Happiness is a Serious Problem” for a little light reading.  I ran across a paragraph that got my attention.

To be a good person, it is always necessary to ask before doing something, "Is it right?" To be physically fit, it is necessary to ask before eating something, "Is it healthful?" To be a happy person, it is necessary to ask before acting, "Is it meaningful?" The problem, course, is that the good action, the healthful food, and the meaningful behavior are rarely the most enticing of our choices-which only proves, once again, that the greatest battle for happiness is with our own nature.

To live a life that is happy, we must take a look at everything we do and determine if it is meaningful.  This does not mean that we can not have enjoyment and do some things that are frivolous; it means that the main things that we spend out time on must be meaningful to us and probably also to the world.

This is important to me and probably to most men.  You see, most men with families have the responsibly to financially provide for their families.  That often times means that they take jobs that pay the most money, not which provide any meaning for them.  I know this from experience, and to some degree it is killing me. 

So, how do you order you life so that you do the things that are of meaning?  That is the quest that lies before me.

Product image for ASIN: 0060987359 Happiness Is a Serious Problem
Author: Dennis Prager; Buy New or Used
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About waynem

As a Minnesota based photographer and artist I have been greatly influenced by the Upper Midwest. I focus my skills and energies on portraits, landscapes, cityscapes, architectural and fine art work. My best work comes from images first painted in my mind. I mull over a prospective image for weeks or months, seeing it from different angles and perspectives, then finally deciding what to capture. The result is images that deeply touch people's emotions and powerfully evoke memories and dreams. My images are used commercially by companies and organizations ranging from Financial Services firms, mom and pop Ice Cream shops and The Basilica of St Mary to communicate their shared vision and values. Book and magazine publishers have featured my images on their covers. My photographs also grace and enhance the decor of many fine homes.
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2 Responses to Always Ask, “is It Meaningful?”

  1. Layla says:

    You are a good person, Wayne.

  2. Lyn says:

    Now that review entices me (oops, I started spelling incites and had to spell check 🙂 to ask that very question and struggle with why I don’t want to ask it. Thanks for sharing what you are reading. lgp

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