The world feels a bit like it’s spinning a little too fast. Between the endless notifications on our phones, the pressure to always be “productive,” and the general noise of modern life, it is incredibly easy to wake up one day and feel… nothing.
It’s that strange, hollow feeling of being “stuck.” You’re going through the motions: work, errands, sleep, but the “why” behind it all has gone missing. If you’ve ever felt like you’re just a passenger in your own life, you aren’t alone. That feeling is called disillusionment, and it’s a sign that your soul is hungry for a bit more meaning.
The Trap of the “Reset” Button
When we feel this void, our first instinct is often to do something drastic. We think, “If I could just fix that one thing from my past,” or “If I could finally get back at the person who held me down, then I’d be happy.”
We look for meaning in conflict or in “settling the score.” We think that by looking backward and righting old wrongs, we can somehow jumpstart our present. But the truth is, the search for meaning isn’t usually found in the rearview mirror. It’s found in the small, intentional choices we make today.
Building Meaning from the Ground Up
Finding purpose in a chaotic world doesn’t require a Hollywood-style quest. Usually, it starts with a few simple shifts:
Audit Your “Noise”: If your world feels chaotic, look at what you’re letting in. Sometimes, finding meaning starts with turning off the volume, unplugging from the drama and reconnecting with the quiet.
Action Over Overthinking: Meaning is found in doing. Helping someone else, starting a small project, or simply choosing to be present during dinner can ground you faster than any “life plan.”
Embrace the Mess: Meaning comes from finding your center while the storm is blowing, not waiting for it to stop.
Why We Tell These Stories
We love stories about people at their breaking points because they remind us that change is possible. We watch characters struggle with their pasts because we are all trying to figure out how to handle our own.
If you’re in the mood for a story that captures this exact struggle—the feeling of being completely fed up and the wild journey of trying to take control back—you’ll want to check out Tabernacles in the Sun by R. Scott Schriewer.
The book follows Jackson Trower, a man who is finished with feeling meaningless and decides to hunt down his past to find some answers. It’s a gritty, honest look at what happens when we try to force the world to make sense, reminding us that the search for meaning is the most intense journey a person can take.