The final pathway suggested by Seligman is to pursue happiness through meaning. We want to feel fulfilled in our everyday lives. Understanding our purpose and what we bring to the table is a huge part of feeling fulfilled.

We achieve meaning in life when we are able to set significant and purposeful goals and dedicate our lives to achieving them but not only.

There is a reason why so many people rely on religion and spirituality. These practices instill meaning in people’s lives, and promote positive behaviors. Answering to a ‘higher power’ provides moral guidance and something to hold you accountable.

It is proven that making others happy and showing kindness makes us perceive our life as more meaningful and happy. This is known as “prosocial behavior” and is the belief that when you do something kind for someone, it increases your overall happiness.

Building healthy relationships is more important than earning a lot of money. Humans are inherently very social creatures, so our personal connections are very important to us. Some experts would even suggest that having healthy, positive relationships with others is another way to happiness and gives us a greater sense of meaning in our lives. The danger is focusing too much on our own individualism. Our very instincts are to create bonds and depend on other human beings, so being fully independent and isolating yourself goes against your very nature. So, making sure that you have strong, healthy bonds with others is particularly important to basic happiness.

Of course, it is not always easy to understand what your values and long-term goals are. Luckily, we live in the time when a meaningful conversation with a life-coach or a therapist can provide us with everything we need to understand ourselves, set achievable goals, and make a first step on the way to living a happy, full life.