In the book The Geometry of Wealth, author Brian Portnoy defined wealth as "funded contentment."

He further clarified this term to mean:

I think this is an excellent definition of wealth.

Without meaning or purpose, our money is mostly directionless.

Without money, the pursuit of meaning and purpose is nearly impossible.

So, as much as we may not like to acknowledge this, money, meaning, and purpose are all interconnected.

In today's email, I'm sharing a five questions that may help you pursue a "meaningful life," however you define it.

But first...did you catch the final episode of my Dividend Investing series?

Listen to Dividend Investing (Part 4): Answering Top Listener Questions to hear my answers to questions like:

• What is the best way to invest for retirement income?
• What funds should dividend-focused investors consider?
• What is the counterargument for stock buybacks?

🎙️ Check it out on your favorite podcast app.

Keys to Living a Fulfilling Life

Martin Seligman, a positive psychology researchers, has done a lot of work to identify how we can increase our fulfillment and well-being.

Specifically, Seligman had identified 5 key areas of life that can contribute to feelings of well-being.

1) Positive Emotion

The best way to generate positive emotions is to participate in activities that bring us joy and happiness.

It could be spending time with people you love and/or doing things you enjoy (e.g., traveling, book clubs, adult sports leagues, dining out, etc.).

While they say, "spontaneity is the spice of life," surpisingly, Seligman has fuond that scheduled experiences can generate longer-lasting positive emotions.

And that's because they give you something to look forward to, in addition to great memories to look back on.

👉 What positive experiences can you schedule for the coming six months that would get you excited and give you something to look forward to?

2) Engagement

Think of engagement as any activity that requires your total presence where there's a chance that you lose track of time.

These could be activities like golfing (my personal favorite), gardening, reading, meditating, or spending time in nature.

👉 What activities can you add to your weekly calendar that you enjoy so much that you could lose track of time?

3) Relationships

We all know relationships are important to our well-being.

However, recent studies on loneliness show that close relationships have been more neglected in recent years.

Finding ways to maintain and enhance your most important relationships is one of the most reliable ways to increase your life satisfaction.

👉 What activities can you include each week to encourage deeper relationships with your close family and friends?

4) Meaning

Most of us have experienced the positive effects of contributing to causes greater than ourselves.

That may be volunteering within your local community, donating time to your favorite organization, or simply helping your neighbors.

We all have different skills and personalities, so finding a way to contribute to the lives of others in a way that resonates with you can dramatically increase feelings of fulfillment.

👉 How can you regularly contribute time to helping others?

5) Accomplishment

One thing that sets humans apart from all other species is our innate desire for progress and mastery.

It's so critical to our well-being that Michael Easter recently shared the following:

Mastery can be pursued in your work, by writing a book or undertaking a tough physical challenge, taking golf or piano lessons, learning to paint, or any other activity in which you can observe progress.

👉 What activity can you pursue in a way that you might see noticeable improvement and progress?

BONUS: Health

Beyond having fewer health complications, getting and/or staying fit has numerous other benefits, such as fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Given the relationships comments above, pursuing your physical health with friends can enhance the experience even further.

👉 How can you make fitness and health an enjoyable part of your weekly routine? Can you recruit a friend to join you on your fitness journey?

Bottom Line

While pursuing a meaningful life is outside the realm of my typical financial commentary, the primary purpose behind my work as a retirement planner is to help clients live their best lives.

For that reason, I wanted to share these thoughts and questions with you to encourage more joy and happiness in your life. 😊

Stay wealthy,

Taylor Schulte, CFP®