MODULE 3

FIND YOURSELF

2 key techniques for finding meaning and purpose in life

INTRODUCTION TO MODULE 3

After completing Module 1 (self-awareness) and Module 2 (relaxation), you may be asking yourself:

"I've released tension, but for what?" "I know I need to change, but I don't know TOWARD WHAT" "How do I recognize what is truly 'mine'?"

This isn't philosophical searching. It's a biological necessity.

Scientific proof of the power of purpose

Dr. Patricia Boyle from Rush University Medical Center analyzed the brains of more than 150,000 people from 32 countries and discovered alarming facts:

People with a clear life purpose have:

  • ● 28% lower risk of dementia
  • ● 57% lower risk of death within 5 years
  • ● Delayed Alzheimer's by up to 6 years just from a sense of purpose
  • ● 72% lower risk of stroke and 44% lower risk of cardiovascular disease

Most important finding: Life purpose physically changes brain structure and protects it from aging.

What you'll learn in this module

  • Ikigai Deep Dive - Japanese secret of longevity for the modern world
  • Meaning-Making Matrix - how to find meaning in your current situation
  • Scientific background of each technique with the latest research
  • Practical guides with troubleshooting for common problems
  • Progress measurement and tracking systems

THE SCIENCE OF LIFE PURPOSE

What happens in the brain when you have purpose?

Default Mode Network - the "idle" network

Your brain has a network that's active when you're "doing nothing" - when thinking about yourself, planning the future, recalling the past.

In people WITHOUT purpose:

  • ● The network is chaotic, inefficiently connected
  • ● More negative thoughts and anxiety
  • ● Higher levels of brain inflammation
  • ● Rumination - unproductive rehashing of problems

In people WITH purpose:

  • ● Efficiently connected network with emotional centers
  • ● Better processing of negative emotions
  • ● Lower inflammation and better stress resilience
  • ● Constructive self-reflection instead of rumination

Hippocampus - memory and learning center

fMRI study (Dr. Aron Sachs, 2023) showed:

People with clear purpose have:

  • ● Denser white matter in hippocampus (+15% above average)
  • ● Higher axonal density (more neural connections)
  • ● Better brain microstructure
  • ● Faster neurogenesis (formation of new neurons)

Practically speaking: Your brain functions better, longer, and is more resilient to aging.

Biological markers of purpose

Dr. Steven Cole (UCLA) discovered that people with eudaimonic (meaningful) happiness have:

  • ● Lower expression of pro-inflammatory genes
  • ● Higher immune response
  • ● Longer telomeres (sign of slower aging)
  • ● Better HPA stress axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal)

Simply put: Life purpose literally keeps you younger and healthier.

Go through the individual exercises

1

IKIGAI - 4 CIRCLES

Japanese secret of longevity for the modern world

Scientific background of Ikigai

Original research from "blue zones":

In the Japanese region of Okinawa (one of the "blue zones" with the longest lifespan), ikigai is lived every day. Results:

  • ● 5x more centenarians than in other parts of the world
  • ● Lowest incidence of Alzheimer's and heart disease in the world
  • ● People don't "retire" - they continue meaningful work throughout their lives
  • ● 90% of people can clearly define their ikigai

Ego 1.0 vs Ego 2.0 - Aristotle's theory of happiness

Two types of motivation:

EGO 1.0 (Hedonic happiness):

  • ● Focused only on yourself
  • ● Fame, money, power, social status
  • ● Short-term satisfaction, long-term emptiness

EGO 2.0 (Eudaimonic happiness):

  • ● Focused on others and higher purpose
  • ● Helping, improving, creating value
  • ● Long-term fulfillment and meaning

Scientific proof: Immune cells of people with hedonic happiness express more pro-inflammatory genes than those with eudaimonic happiness.

Practically: People living only for themselves are sicker than those who help others.

Healthy giver vs other types

  • ● Apathy: I don't care about anything (neither myself nor others)
  • ● Taker: I take but don't give
  • ● Self-sacrificing giver: I give everything but forget about myself
  • ● Healthy giver: I take care of myself and also of others

Goal: Be a healthy giver = EGO 2.0

What is Ikigai - 4 circles

CIRCLE 1: WHAT DO YOU LOVE? (Passion)

  • ● Activities that energize you
  • ● Things you would do even for free
  • ● Activities where you "lose track of time"

CIRCLE 2: WHAT ARE YOU GOOD AT? (Talent) - Gallup test

  • ● Natural abilities and learned skills
  • ● What you excel at without much effort
  • ● Things people praise you for

CIRCLE 3: WHAT DOES THE WORLD NEED? (Mission)

  • ● Where you can help and improve others' lives
  • ● Problems that bother you and you want to solve
  • ● Values you want to spread in the world

CIRCLE 4: WHAT CAN YOU BE PAID FOR? (Economics)

  • ● How to turn your passion and talents into income
  • ● Market and demand for your skills
  • ● Sustainable sources of livelihood

Circle intersections

Passion + Talent = What I love and what I'm good at

Talent + Finance = Professional career

Finance + Mission = Useful work for society

Mission + Passion = Meaningful activity

ALL 4 CIRCLES TOGETHER = IKIGAI = REASON TO LIVE

Ikigai Deep Dive Protocol

PREPARATION

Environment:

  • ● Quiet space with enough room for writing
  • ● 4 large sheets of paper or one large one
  • ● Colored pens/pencils

Mental preparation:

  • ● This is not a test with "correct" answers
  • ● Be brutally honest
  • ● Handwritten answers are important - they activate different parts of the brain

CIRCLE 1: MAPPING PASSIONS (20 minutes)

Technique "Flow Archaeology":

Flow = state where you are completely absorbed in an activity and lose track of time

1. Childhood memories:

  • ● "What did I love doing as a child?"
  • ● "During what activities did I forget everything else?"
  • ● "What fascinated me from a young age?"
  • ● "What games did I invent?"

Examples: Building, drawing, storytelling, solving puzzles, caring for animals, organizing games

📋 IKIGAI ANALYSIS

CIRCLE 1: WHAT DO YOU LOVE? (Passion)

CIRCLE 2: WHAT AM I GOOD AT? (Talent)

CIRCLE 3: WHAT DOES THE WORLD NEED? (Mission)

CIRCLE 4: WHAT CAN I BE PAID FOR? (Economics)

MY IKIGAI

2

MEANING MAKING MATRIX

How to find meaning in your current situation

Scientific background of Meaning-Making

Dr. Cheryl Wakefield from Harvard Medical School developed a theory that "meaning" has 3 main dimensions:

Coherence: How things fit together into a logical whole

Purpose: Sense of direction and purpose

Significance: Feeling that things have importance and value

Key finding: People with high meaning-making have better psychological resilience and faster recovery from stress.

The 4x4 Meaning Matrix

Concept: We analyze 4 areas of current life through 4 different "meaning lenses".

PHASE 1: Mapping current activities (15 minutes)

Divide current life into 4 categories:

CATEGORY 1: WORK/CAREER All activities related to your occupation

CATEGORY 2: RELATIONSHIPS/FAMILY Time and energy devoted to people

CATEGORY 3: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT/HEALTH Investment in yourself

CATEGORY 4: COMMUNITY/SERVICE Contribution to society

PHASE 2: Applying 4 Meaning Lenses (20 minutes)

Apply 4 "meaning lenses" to each activity:

LENS 1: Contribution perspective - "Who am I helping?"

Who benefits from what I do? How do I improve others' lives? What positive impact does my work have? Who would miss it if no one did it?

LENS 2: Growth perspective - "What am I learning?"

What skills am I developing? How does it make me a better person? What challenges am I overcoming? What am I discovering about myself?

LENS 3: Connection perspective - "How does it connect me with others?"

Who do I connect with through this? How does it deepen my connection with community? How do I feel part of something bigger? Who are my 'fellow travelers' in this activity?

LENS 4: Values perspective - "How does it express my values?"

Which of my values does this express? How is this activity aligned with who I want to be? How does it strengthen my identity? What would happen to my values if I stopped doing it?

📊 MEANING MAKING MATRIX - ACTIVITY ANALYSIS

Fill in for 8 of your main activities. For each activity, rate each "lens" on a scale of 1-10.

ACTIVITY CONTRIBUTION
(Who am I helping?)		 GROWTH
(What am I learning?)		 CONNECTION
(How am I connecting?)		 VALUES
(Which values?)		 TOTAL
(/40)
-/40
-/40
-/40
-/40
-/40
-/40
-/40
-/40

RESULTS INTERPRETATION

MODULE 3 CONCLUSION: YOUR PATH TO A MEANINGFUL LIFE

You have completed the two most important exercises for finding meaning and life purpose. Now you have the tools used by long-lived populations and the happiest people in the world.

Key takeaways:

  • Life purpose physically changes brain structure and protects it from aging
  • People with clear purpose have 28% lower risk of dementia and 57% lower risk of death
  • Ikigai combines 4 elements: What you love + What you're good at + What the world needs + What you can be paid for
  • Purpose cannot just be found, but must be actively created in current activities
  • Eudaimonic happiness (focused on others) is healthier than hedonic (focused on self)

Long-term benefits (after 8 weeks):

  • ● 28% lower risk of cognitive problems
  • ● Better brain connectivity and stress resilience
  • ● Higher motivation and consistency in achieving goals
  • ● Sense of fulfillment instead of emptiness
  • ● Clearer decision-making in life choices

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES USED

Science of life purpose:

Boyle, P. A., et al. (2012). "Purpose in life and the human brain." Neuropsychology

Finding: 28% lower risk of dementia in people with clear purpose

Boyle, P. A., Barnes, L. L., Buchman, A. S., & Bennett, D. A. (2009). "Purpose in life is associated with mortality among community-dwelling older persons." Psychosomatic Medicine

Finding: 57% lower risk of death within 5 years

Sachs, A., et al. (2023). "Purpose and brain microstructure: fMRI study." Nature Neuroscience

Finding: +15% denser white matter in hippocampus in people with purpose

Biological markers of purpose:

Cole, S. W. (2013). "Social regulation of human gene expression: mechanisms and implications for public health." PNAS

Finding: People with eudaimonic happiness have lower expression of pro-inflammatory genes

Cole, S. W., et al. (2013). "Eudaimonic well-being and gene expression." PNAS, 110(33)

Finding: Longer telomeres and better immune response

Ikigai and blue zone research:

Buettner, D. (2008). "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer." National Geographic

Finding: 5x more centenarians in Okinawa thanks to ikigai

Sone, T., et al. (2008). "Sense of life worth living (ikigai) and mortality in Japan: Ohsaki Study." Psychosomatic Medicine

Finding: 72% lower risk of stroke in people with ikigai

Meaning-Making Theory:

Park, C. L. (2010). "Making sense of the meaning literature: an integrative review of meaning making and its effects on adjustment to stressful life events." Psychological Bulletin

Finding: People with high meaning-making have better psychological resilience

Frankl, V. E. (1946). Man's Search for Meaning - original text on logotherapy

Finding: Purpose as the strongest human motivator

Decision-making and future self:

Hershfield, H. E. (2019). "Future self and decision making." Current Opinion in Psychology

Finding: People with clear value hierarchy make better decisions under pressure

Meta-analyses:

Roepke, A. M., Jayawickreme, E., & Riffle, O. M. (2014). "Meaning and health: a systematic review." Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being

Analysis: 150,000+ people from 32 countries

Finding: Consistent connection between purpose and physical health

Martela, F., & Steger, M. F. (2016). "The three meanings of meaning in life: Distinguishing coherence, purpose, and significance." Journal of Positive Psychology

Finding: Three dimensions of meaning - coherence, purpose, and significance

KEY NEUROSCIENCE FINDINGS

Default Mode Network:

  • ● In people WITHOUT purpose: Chaotic network, more negative thoughts, higher inflammation
  • ● In people WITH purpose: Efficiently connected network, better emotion processing, lower inflammation

Hippocampus changes:

  • ● Denser white matter (+15% above average)
  • ● Faster neurogenesis (formation of new neurons)
  • ● Better brain microstructure

Prefrontal cortex:

  • ● Stronger activation in decision-making
  • ● Lower cognitive load
  • ● Higher impulse control

Life purpose is not something we find, but something we create with each decision - and science clearly shows it has a measurable impact on our health, longevity, and quality of life.

Are you ready for Module 4 where you'll learn how to overcome procrastination and put things into motion?