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!

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. At the beginning of this year, Forbes

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

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

Since the pandemic, quality relationships in the workplace have been growing scarcer—and increasingly more important to us. With one in five employees saying they feel lonely every day, it’s high time we found new ways to meaningfully connect. To get

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

From the “bring your whole self to work” movement of the 2010s to this year’s massive rollback of DEI initiatives, we’ve been given conflicting messages about the merits of workplace authenticity. What does it even mean to be “yourself” at

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

The nuts and bolts of meaningful work: How to read the Map of Meaning

In Part 1 of our conversation with Dr. Marjolein Lips-Wiersma, creator of the Map of Meaning, we talked about how her fascinating doctoral research led to the discovery of this impactful framework. Now, in Part 2 of that conversation, she

The making of the Map of Meaning: A conversation with Dr. Marjolein Lips-Wiersma

The Map of Meaning framework was developed through Dr. Marjolein Lips-Wiersma’s groundbreaking doctoral research. In this interview, she recounts that fascinating journey and what it taught her about how humans find meaning at work and beyond. The Map of Meaning

Understanding tensions: The hidden forces behind meaningful work

If you’ve taken the Worklife Fulfillment Builder (or if you’re considering doing so!) you may have come across the concept of “tensions” as they relate to your worklife. If you’ve ever wondered about this word, look no further! While “tensions”