Meaning and Purpose Scale

Your Name:_______________________________________

Today's Date:______________________________________

0=Not at all

2=Only a little bit

4=Somewhat

6=Moderately

8=Strong

10=Very strong

Finding sources of meaning, purpose, and direction in life is a skill, or set of skills, that can be developed over time. Please rate how strong a sense of meaning, purpose, or direction you are currently able to get from each of the following sources.

_____1. The wish to figure out ways to make life satisfying and fulfilling for myself.

_____2. The wish to figure out ways to make life better for other people.

_____3. My relationships with present family members.

_____4. The relationships I have now with people outside the family.

_____5. The family relationships I hope or plan to have someday.

_____6. The relationships with people outside the family I hope or plan to have someday.

_____7. The things I already do that are fun and pleasant and fulfilling and that I look forward to.

_____8. The fun and interesting and fulfilling activities I hope to find and do some day.

_____9. My determination to be a “survivor” -- to show myself or others that I can prevail despite hardship.

_____10. My hopes and plans to make the future better.

_____11. My curiosity to find out more -- my drive to learn more about the world and life.

_____12. My curiosity to figure out how to make the best life possible.

_____13. My wish to learn to do things, to gain skills, that are useful and/or fun.

_____14. My wish to be successful at earning a living.

_____15. My wish to be financially secure -- to save enough money that I don't have to worry about having enough.

_____16. My wish to take advantage of the interesting things that life has to offer.

_____17. My interest in or appreciation of reading.

_____18. My interest in or appreciation of music.

_____19. My appreciation of being in nature.

_____20. My interest in or appreciation of any of the arts -- movies, dance, drawing or painting, etc.

_____21. The facts that conditions of humanity are in great need of improvement, and that I may be able to contribute toward improving things in some way, even if just a little bit.

_____22. When I have unavoidable suffering, finding meaning from being able to bear suffering courageously.

_____23. When I have unavoidable suffering, finding meaning in demonstrating to others how to handle suffering well.

_____24. Getting help from others as well as giving help to others, and appreciating how people are interdependent.

_____25. A wish or drive to be physically fit.

_____26. A wish to keep physically healthy.

_____27. A wish to gain power and influence to protect myself from any who would do me harm.

_____28. My wish to gain power and influence to make good things happen for myself and for other people.

_____29. My wish to be appreciated or admired, to be someone that people look up to.

_____30. A wish have a good romantic relationship.

_____31. A wish for people to find me a desirable person to have a relationship with.

_____32. My present enjoyment of chatting, social conversations, social interaction.

_____33. My hopes for future enjoyment and skill in chatting, social conversations, social interaction.

_____34. My current enjoyment of games, sports, or competitions.

_____35. My hopes for future success in games, sports, or competitions.

_____36. The wish to be kind, nurturing, or protective to nonhuman animals.

_____37. The wish to be kind, nurturing, or protective to people in unfortunate circumstances.

_____38. My wish to be a good partner in a relationship with someone -- loyal, kind, honest, etc.

_____39. Interest in food choice and preparation and enjoyment of food, for myself and/or others.

_____40. Religious, spiritual, or philosophical sources of meaning in life.

_____41. A sense of wonder at the universe and the fact that life can even exist.

_____42. A sense of belonging to groups, for example religious group, clubs, sports teams, work teams, etc.

_____43. My wish to accomplish, to achieve.

_____44. My enjoyment of entertainments that people have devised.

_____45. My wish to find wise and healthy ways to escape or avoid bad conditions of life that I have become familiar with.

_____46. My enjoyment of comedy and humor, either being funny myself or appreciating other people's being funny

_____47. A quest to find ways to relieve some suffering that I am experiencing or have experienced.

_____48. A quest to keep others from suffering in some ways that I have suffered.

_____49. My sense of freedom of choice -- that even if I make mistakes, I can make choices that influence how my life goes.

_____50. A quest to become really expert at something worth doing really well.

_____51. The quest for good grades at school and/or good evaluations at work.

_____52. Traveling to and exploring new places.

_____53. Preparing for performances, and performing them.

_____54. Social activism, working for a cause.

_____55. Writing.

_____56. Getting new ideas.

_____57. Cultivating a garden or orchard or farm or other activities with plants.

_____58. Being kind and nurturing to children.

_____59+. Other:_________________________ .