The Meaningful Life
How to Live, Love, and Have Good Days
by
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My hope is that this book encourages you to initiate meaningful conversations with your children about life’s most important topics—before circumstances force those discussions or leave you wishing you had them sooner. When parent-child relationships are stable, there’s often little urgency to address deeper issues. Yet, the middle and high school years are ideal for these conversations. In my experience, many parents avoid these discussions, and many young people—even those in college—have never explored these topics in depth. If they have, their understanding is often shaped by a quick internet search, which may or may not yield accurate information. Unfortunately, this superficial engagement can create the illusion that the issue has been fully examined and resolved.
Children need to know what their parents believe about critical issues—and why those beliefs matter. In their early years, children are not developmentally equipped to critically evaluate complex ideas. It is not only appropriate but necessary for parents to guide their thinking during this stage. Allowing young children to make significant life decisions independently is a disservice. As they mature, they will benefit from being challenged and encouraged to test the truths they’ve been taught. But in a world saturated with voices telling them what to think, it is essential that your voice be among the first and most consistent. Dissenting perspectives may present themselves as “information,” but if that information is not grounded in truth, it becomes little more than noise—unfit for shaping meaningful decisions.
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About the Book
Have you thought about what makes your life meaningful? The idea for this book came about from dinner conversations with my son. We explored different life topics, but it soon became apparent I had not taken the time when he was younger to carefully explain what actions would lead to a meaningful life. And I was not alone because my own parents had not taken the time to tell me what I should do to have a meaningful life. There is a profound difference between searching for the meaning of life and filling your life with meaning. There are plenty of books about the meaning of life, but a scant few instruct us how to construct a life full of meaning that is worth living. This book is designed to be a resource and guide to do just that. This resource will help clarify life essentials for yourself, your children, your family, or anyone who is dissatisfied with their current life or simply wants to live life to the fullest. Get ready to transform your life and fill your life with meaning.
About the Author
Gary R. Holmes is the assistant dean and an associate professor at a university in Texas. He earned his PhD at the University of North Texas in Marketing. He worked for nine years in bank services marketing prior to teaching marketing at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. He has taught Bible Study classes for over 25 years at Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Prestonwood Baptist Church, and First Baptist Midlothian. His research has appeared in various academic journals. He currently lives in Midlothian, Texas.