This morning, as I was jump roping, I was listening to that new podcast with Barack Obama and Bruce Springstreen …

(my roommate in college was a huge Springsteen fan and so I know his music, but other than a few songs I never was really that into him; still, he’s growing on me because of this podcast)

… and Springsteen used the phrase, “life, liberty and the pursuit of meaning.”

I thought that was a really interesting turn of phrase. I’ve heard of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” of course, but that always seemed a bit nebulous to me. What does “the pursuit of happiness” look like? How, exactly, do you pursue “happy”? I’ve always thought about “happy” being the fleeting result of an external circumstance — like finding the perfect parking space, or sipping an excellent cup of tea, or enjoying the breeze on a warm spring day. I’ve never considered it something you could pursue.

But meaning? That feels like something you go after, something you can put some intention behind. I think that having a meaningful life can certainly create joy as a byproduct — it’s what I believe joyful activism is all about — but it’s in the pursuit of meaning that makes it so.

I think, anyway.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of meaning.

I like it.