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

Cross Cultural Solutions
http://www.crossculturalsolutions.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/

Jobs for Career Downsizers
http://www.myretirementbydesign.com

 

Hobbies/Avocations/Volunteer Work Goals

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