Find meaning in every moment

The physical signs of rebirth and new beginnings in the spring—budding trees, blooming flowers, longer days, chirping birds, and the emergence of butterflies—remind me of a psychological concept I’ve come to know and love over the years: meaning-making.

In psychology, meaning-making is a term that describes how people construe, interpret, and make sense of life experiences, events, relationships, and the self. Meaning-making is prevalent following trauma, loss, transitions, illness, and other significantly impactful events. It’s a largely individualized process; some even suggest it requires high self-awareness.

When you engage in meaning-making, you construct narratives about your life and experiences to derive a sense of purpose from them, even when (or perhaps especially when) the experiences were unexpected and uninvited.

When creating an intentional life, making deliberate, purposeful, proactive choices is only half the equation.

But what happens when life happens to us? What happens when we inevitably find ourselves in an unchosen position thanks to an unexpected event? What do we do when our life forces us to react?

In these situations, I find comfort in the beauty and messy process of meaning-making.

It’s a process I’ve turned to in the wake of the sudden death, cancer diagnoses, milestone accomplishments (like being the first in my family to graduate from college), permanently life-altering visits to new places (more on that later), subtle identity shifts, and moments of pure, unfiltered joy.

I’m willing to go so far as to say Time Intentional is my way of making meaning out of losing loved ones too soon and funneling the love and time I wish I could have spent with all of them into all of you.

In the good and bad moments, I encourage you to continue building an intentional life by leaning into meaning-making.

Because life takes a dual-sided approach. It offers space to allow us to create an intentional life through proactive action and deep-rooted reflection. And sometimes, it asks us to respond to the unthinkable, unwanted, and unexpected—to reflect, learn, and make intentional decisions because of what we have experienced.

We can do both.

💌 How have you found meaning through a life event? Respond to this issue and tell me all about it! I’d love to hear from you.

Time Intentional Community Features

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Time Well Spent: Weekly Roundup

1. I prepped lunches last weekend (a task I once enjoyed doing many years ago) and cooked dinner almost every night this week (rare for us), and it was worth the minimal effort I put in. Easy lunches (especially working from home) are a significant win. Here’s what I made. And these are the bright and joyful containers* I use!

2. I went with a friend to paint wooden Easter eggs over cocktails at a nearby coffee shop, and there is nothing like working with your hands. Despite not being the next Picasso, I had a lot of fun, and we enjoyed focused conversation without distractions.

3. My dad celebrated a milestone birthday yesterday! While I’m big on birthday celebrations, most of my family members are not; however, we planned a spontaneous, semi-last-minute, low-key party, and I loved every minute of it (and I think he did, too).

The Takeaways

• How can I bring more joy (and deliciousness) into mealtime and food preparation?

• Immerse yourself in a hands-on activity! Ideas include painting, drawing, crocheting, knitting, coloring, calligraphy, gardening, writing, cooking, and building something. How does a hands-on activity allow you to show up more intentionally? What does it feel like?

• How do you want to be celebrated and seen?

Don’t forget! I add The Takeaways to our running list of Intentional Journaling Prompts each week. The questions are a great place to start, whether you journal (physically or digitally) or want a few thought starters to help you dig deeper into building an intentional life. Feel free to share the list with someone who may benefit from it, too!

I’m Alyssa Towns, a freelance writer, and this is Time Intentional, a newsletter exploring what it means to spend our limited (and precious) time intentionally. Only you can decide how to spend your time in a way that feels intentional!

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