Get Started
Sign In
Get Started
Sign In

Pages

Categories

The MeaningSphere

®

Blog

Practical tips and thought-provoking ideas for navigating the world of work with more humanity. Don’t miss a post–sign up for our newsletter!

Categories

Here’s where you find the complete archive of articles from the MeaningSphere Blog, all in one place. Read, share, and enjoy.

Developed by Dr. Marjolein Lips-Wiersma, the Map of Meaning is the foundational framework of MeaningSphere’s flagship offering. Comprising four pathways and three tensions, the Map is a research-backed tool for understanding how we experience meaning—and therefore, what makes work meaningful rather than meaningless. Here, you’ll find articles that will empower you to understand and apply this powerful framework in your own worklife. 

This is where we share the heart behind what we do. Here you’ll find the ideas, insights, and stories that shape our offerings—and why we believe meaning at work matters. Think of it as a starting point for understanding who we are, what drives us, and how we can make a difference in your worklife. 

Your worklife is the ongoing conversation between your work and your sense of self. Here you’ll find fresh perspectives, practical tips, and gentle questions to help you explore what matters most to you, so you can build the worklife that fits you best. From shifting workplace trends to new data on wellbeing, we’ll connect the bigger picture to your everyday experience. 

  • Full Collection, Worklife thought-starters

Trapped: How we outsource our happiness at work

What if I told you your employer isn't the boss of your happiness at work—you are? Here's how to take ownership of your workplace fulfillment.
Read More
  • happiness, love and work
A person pushes a big smiley face up a hill.
  • Full Collection, Worklife thought-starters

How the ‘happiness paradox’ shapes your work

We humans crave happiness. We also have an innate need for meaning. But creating a meaningful worklife may involve a certain amount of unhappiness.
Read More
  • happiness, keith lewish
  • Full Collection, Worklife thought-starters

What we mean by ‘worklife’ (and why it matters)

If you’ve been following MeaningSphere for any length of time, you might have noticed a particular term we use: worklife. Not as in “work-life balance,” a term that suggests a divide between working and living. Just worklife.
Read More
  • MeaningSphere 101, Worklife
A photo collage of Jeff Westphal.
  • Full Collection

It’s not what you do, it’s why you do it: Meet MeaningSphere founder Jeff Westphal

Thirty years ago, a thoughtful question from a mentor transformed the way Jeff Westphal thought about his work’s purpose. Now, he wants to give others the same opportunity.
Read More
  • jeff westphal, MeaningSphere 101
  • Full Collection, Map of Meaning

Should you worry about living up to your potential?

Within the Map of Meaning framework, you don’t “reach,” “achieve,” or “unlock” your full potential—you express it. This subtle mindset shift can help you create a worklife with less angst and more joy.
Read More
  • Map of Meaning
  • Full Collection, Map of Meaning

The benefits of serving others at work

From glowing biographies of ruthless CEOs to the often-gladiatorial hiring process, work culture has encouraged us to think of ourselves first. The problem? No one actually benefits from selfish behavior at work. We use the Map of Meaning’s “Service to Others” pathway to make a case for small acts of selflessness in the workplace.
Read More
  • Map of Meaning
  • Full Collection, Map of Meaning

Can we be work friends? Here’s how “Unity with Others” can make or break our experience in the workplace

With one in five employees saying they feel lonely every day, it’s high time we found new ways to meaningfully connect. We used the Map of Meaning’s “Unity with Others” pathway get started.
Read More
  • Map of Meaning
  • Full Collection, Map of Meaning

In the workplace, ‘Integrity with Self’ is as important as ever

What does it even mean to be “yourself” at work, and who gets to do this anymore? We used the Map of Meaning’s “Integrity with Self” pathway to cut through the noise.
Read More
  • Map of Meaning
  • Full Collection, Map of Meaning

Unpacking tensions: How to thrive in the space between ‘Inspiration’ and ‘Reality’

An ongoing tug-of-war between our realities and our dreams is central to any meaningful worklife. In this piece, we unpack this key tension using the Map of Meaning framework - and explore how connecting the two can enable us to thrive at work.
Read More
  • Map of Meaning