Gratification/Purpose/Meaning

We can be happier if we understand the difference between pleasure and gratification and work to enhance and balance both in our lives.

Gratification (Purpose)

  • Is won through the pursuit of a noble or higher purpose.
  • Is the opposite of pleasure in that it creates meaning and blocks emotion.
  • Creates a state of flow, total absorption, and suspension of consciousness, effortless involvement.
  • Invests in the future.
  • Is hard-won.

 

Increasing Gratification

  • Gratification is characterized by challenge, goals, feedback, concentration, and suspension of the awareness of time and self.
  • Gratification can be cultivated by utilizing your signature strengths.

 

What gifts do you have to give to the world?

 

When are you doing what you really want to do?

 

Hobbies & Volunteer Work Goals – Example

  • Singing
  • Teaching English in China
  • Helping people with their resumes
  • Throwing nice showers and parties
  • Organizing and facilitating book discussions
  • Decorating our house
  • Home repair
  • Gardening and garden design
  • Writing songs, poetry, travelogues, screenplays, short stories
  • Learning about other cultures
  • Cooking and creating new recipes

 

Hobbies List

  Animal-related  Beekeeping Dog and cat breeding Herpetoculture
  Keeping or showing  pets Horses Animal rescue
 Arts and Crafts Crocheting Building Dollhouses Making Dolls
 Drawing Embroidery Knitting
 Miniature figures Painting Pottery
 Quilting Scrap-booking Sculpture
 Sewing Stained glass Stamping
 Weaving Wood carving Woodworking
 Collecting Antiques Artwork Autographs
 Books Videogames Coins
 Fossils, rocks Comic books Currency
 Dumpster diving Postcards Records/CDs
 Rocks and minerals Scale models Stamps
 Trading baseball cards Wine labels Shot glasses
 Computer-related Animation Computer games Graphic designs
 Cooking Baking Barbecuing Creating new  recipes
 Learning ethnic cooking Trading recipes 
 Electronics Hardware hacking Radio or CB radio Robots
 Games Board games (Chess,  Scrabble) Card games (Bridge,  Poker, Backgammon) Dominoes
 War games Role-playing 
 Making spirits Home-brewing Wine-making 
 Internet-based  hobbies Blogging Genealogy Newsgroups
 Currency bill tracking Geocaching (treasure  hunting) 
 Literature Reading Writing  (Autobiography,  Magazine articles,  Journaling,  Screenplays, Short  stories) Learning foreign  languages
 Interactive Fiction
  Model Building  Aircraft  Cars  Military Vehicles
   Military Vehicles  Ships  Railroads
   Movie models  Model houses Matchsticks  models
  Motor vehicles  Antique cars  Kit cars Motorcycles
 Off-roading Trucks Car detailing
 Music Singing Playing instruments Musical  composition
 Recording old music Being in a choir Listening to music
 Going to concerts Music history
 Observation Astronomy Train, plan, bus  spotting Bird watching
 Butterfly watching People watching Animal watching
 Outdoor  Activities Backpacking Camping Caving
 Canoeing and  kayaking Scuba diving Gardening
 Hiking Kite flying Mountain  climbing
 Rafting Rock climbing Stone skipping
 Walking
 Photography Black and white Scenery Travel
 Puzzles Jigsaw puzzles Crossword puzzles Word seek  puzzles
 Restoration Antique machinery Early computers Houses
 Sailboats
 Sports Baseball, softball Bowling Cycling
 Dancing Fantasy sports Fishing
 Gliding Hunting Martial arts
 Paintball Sailing Shooting guns
 Table tennis Ultimate Frisbee Golf
 Miscellaneous Science experiments Film-making Historical  reenactment

 

 

Volunteer Work

 Conservation Wildlife Greenpeace Recycling
  Clean up Environmental  protection Lead nature walks
 Building Homes Habitat for  humanity Peace Corps Overseas
 People Oriented Churches Feed People (Meals  on  Wheels, Project  Angel) Peace Corps
  Schools Teaching English  overseas Tutoring
  Boards (non-profit,  School Boards) Shelters (homeless,  battered women,  orphanages) Overseas community  development
  After school  programs Hospitals Hospice
  AIDs Small business  support Human rights activism
  Crime victim  support Neighborhood watch Goodwill/Salvation  Army
  Women’s  Volunteer Groups

 

People Oriented

Elder Wisdom Circle:  www.elderwisdomcircle.org.  Elders 60 to 105 counsel younger people online on careers, siblings, relationships, sex.

Volunteer Opportunities

International:  Paid Experiences Overseas

Heifer:  Women’s Projects in Vietnam and Cambodia.  Arlene Withers participated.
www.heifer.org

Sierra Club
http://www.sierraclub.org/

Habitat for Humanity
http://www.habitat.org/

Long Beach Women’s Shelter
http://www.womenshelterlb.org

Volunteers Give Advice to People Who E-mail Questions:
www.elderwisdomcircle.org

Junior League Long Beach
http://www.jllb.org

Soroptimists
http://www.soroptimist.org/

 

Hobbies/Avocations/Volunteer Work Goals

 Goal Year
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 

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Next: Pleasure/Leisure/Joy

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