Lesso

1 Meaningful Life
You have learned in the previous modules about the nature of man.
In this lesson, information and activities are provided to help you
recognize the meaning of your existence.

WHAT I NEED
https://www.cleanpng.com/png-peace-person-charlotte-white-do

TO KNOW?
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In this lesson, you are expected

to:
 explain the
significance of death
in the existence of
the person; and
 reflect on the
meaning of his/her
own life

WHAT I KNOW
Give your own definition to the following terms listed below.

1. Death
2. Life
3. Happiness
4. Suffering
5. Meaningful Life

WHAT’S IN?
You have
encountered in
the previous
modules about all
the concepts you
 need to better understand human nature and
what drives human to establish relationships
and the things that influenced the
development of a human person. You have
gone through the journey of getting much
deeper understanding about all the aspects
that relate with human nature.
Now, let’s explore what is the essence of living. Have you ever
wondered about how nothing seems to last forever? Objects get
worn out, food and drinks get expired, and even trends become
outdated after some time. Even more, what about the cycle of
being born, growing up, getting old, being sick and dying? These
go to one very important reality at some point of our human
condition; we are temporal beings which means that we are
human beings oriented towards impending death.
Surely, the very thought of death and the mystery surrounding it
have caused a lot of grief and anxiety to a person. You may
certainly feel that thinking about death at this point of your life is a
bit inappropriate or unnecessary since you are still young and you
still have your whole life ahead of you. Thus, the idea makes you a
bit uncomfortable but then it is an essential element in the human
condition which definitely deserves attention. Only in reflecting on
the reality of death can we begin to explore and understand the
meaning of our own and very
existence.

WHAT’S NEW?
What you will do

Meaningful Life MAT

Materials:
Scissors
2 pcs. Of colored paper
(varied color) Ball pen
 Directions:
1. Make strips of paper out of 2 different colored paper.
2. On each strip, write your happy experiences on one color and your sad
ones on the other color.
3. Weave the strips like a mat.
4. Look at your work of art and appreciate the beauty of it as a whole.

Question:
Try to remove one of the colored strips. Now, look at your work of
art once again.
Do your remaining strips still make a beautiful mat? What does this
say about the meaning of life? Give your
insights.
WHAT IS IT?
#YOLO
(You
Only
Live
Once)
Eat, drink, and be merry
for tomorrow we die.
In the essence that we, humans, are
oriented towards our impending
death, this concept
has given rise to such various expressions being
mentioned above. Commonly, death is understood as
the end of bodily functions which signals the end of a
person’s life. It also refers to the separation of the body and the spirit.
As you have learned in the past modules, the human person is an
embodied spirit. The
body, being material, is subject to growth, death, and https://www.shutterstock.com/search/getting+oldcartoon
decay. While the spirit, being immaterial, will
continue to exist even after the body has
passed.

Accepting the fact that we are persons facing the reality of death
allows us to determine the course of our actions and of our entire life.
Thus, the essence of freedom is self-determination which refers to the
capacity to choose and act for oneself. For instance, a person cannot
stop the natural bound law of growing old, however, he/she can choose
to embrace aging gracefully by taking pride in their gray hair, wrinkles,
and the fact of having grandchildren. But others might take a different
path and use any means to mask their physical aging by getting
cosmetic surgery and having “age-defying” treatments.

Ultimately, we must embrace the fact that death is an integral part

of our life so that once we have come in good terms with that inevitable
aspect of being human, we can focus not just on the quantifiable
aspects of life (e.g. possessions, luxurious years) but also on its quality.
It can give us clearer purpose and focus on our daily activities. Since we
cannot do everything in our lifetime, we must be able to reflect on what
we need to do and identify the goals we need to achieve so we can say
that we have lived in a meaningful existence.

WHAT’S MORE
What you will do

Write a letter of support and

encouragement to a person who you
know is undergoing difficulties in life
Highlight the points where you apply
your learning about happiness,
suffering, death, and meaningful life.
Write it in your Activity Notebook.
The human person is an embodied spirit which refers to
the unity of a body and a spirit. The body grows and dies, while
the soul continues to exist even after the body has passed. It is
true that there was no exception, we will face the inevitability of
death, but we have the freedom to live our lives well or not.
Temporality challenges us to make choices that will be good for
us and the people around us. Although we are oriented towards
our impending death, death, itself, is not the goal of life. Yet, the
challenge is to live a meaningful life.

WHAT I HAVE
LEARNED?
Direction:
Answer the
following
questions using your own words: Express
your answer with a maximum of 5
sentences. Write it in your activity notebook.

Challenge:
Based on what you have learned about happiness, suffering, death,
and the meaning of life, could you give advice to the following
people in various situations? Be realistic as much as possible.

1. Your sister is an overachiever. Being on top of the class is

what makes her feel fulfilled. However, she got lower grades
 than usual for this quarter. She is extremely saddened and
discouraged by this and becomes withdrawn and aloof.
2. Your best friend is dating a married man. Despite her family’s
disapproval, she does not want to break up with him. She
says that he is the only one who makes her very happy.

WHAT I CAN
DO?
Create a photo
collage showing
the things that
makes your life
meaningful. You can also include things that
makes you happy or things that drives you to
do more in life despite of adversities. Bring
out your uniqueness and creativeness.

Criteria
Organization & Composition: overall content - 15 pts
Originality: theme - 10 pts
Creativity & Neatness: overall appearance - 5 pts
TOTAL : 30 points

Lesson Positive Lif

Realizin
2 g Goals
e
You have learned in the preceded lesson
about what makes life more meaningful.
Realizing one’s meaning of life help you
focus to list and enumerate life goals and
prioritize more meaningful objectives as
you live through.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/vector-illustration-people

WHAT I NEED run-their-goal-1240127524

TO KNOW?
In this lesson, you are expected to:
- explain the essence
of happiness and
suffering to one’s life
 - enumerate the objectives he/she really
wants to achieve; and
- define the projects
he/she really wants
to do in his/her life

WHAT I KNOW
Direction: Give your
own insights in
regards with the
following
expressions below.
Write it legibly in
your Activity
Notebook.
1. #YOLO (You Only Live Once)
2. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.
3. Live as If you were to die tomorrow.
4. Learn as if you were to live forever.
5. There is a rainbow after the rain.

WHAT’S IN?
As you go through the previous modules,
you have encountered the reality of death. By
the law of nature, it is inevitable that we all
face the brink of our existence. Thus, by
embracing this knowledge, we are motivated
to spend our life in a more meaningful way as
possible.
Now, let’s continue to loosen the amazing journey of one’s
existence. We all know that as we approach our death, we
experience both happiness and suffering. The two are not really
meant to be polar opposites, for they can also enrich one another.
You cannot appreciate the essence of genuine happiness and
success if you did not experience suffering, pain or difficulties.
WHAT’S NEW?
What you will do
Direction: Read the following questions and answer it briefly.
1. What makes you happy?
2. What is your perception about real happiness?
3. Do you prefer a life without suffering/adversities?
Justify your answer.

WHAT IS IT?
 What brings you happiness? Is it the food you
eat? The clothes you wear? The gadgets you
own? The achievements you reap? The
moments you share with your loved ones?
Whatever it is, you feel something good
and pleasurable.
Happiness is a state of being, not just an
emotional experience or a chosen mental attitude. In fact, we do not
choose happiness, happiness is always
there, and we just choose the means/path to achieve it. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/happy-children-
We consider the sources of happiness as something cartoon-
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that is good for us. That good has three kinds:
● Noble good is one which is pursued for its own sake; it is
good in itself. For example: love and friendship.
● Useful good is considered good as long as it serves as a
means to an end; its goodness is found only from what it can
provide. For example, money.
● Pleasurable good provides some form of pleasure, though it
doesn’t have to be physical. For example a trip to favorite
places.
However, you should always remember that happiness from a
material thing slowly fades away as soon as you have it. Meanwhile,
happiness formed by friendship only grows as it progresses. Happy
moments with people precious to you are priceless. Thus, do not be
blinded by earthly living and live a meaningful life for real happiness can
be found in more permanent and meaningful things.
On the other hand, negative experiences are also part of our
lives. Suffering takes place when we patiently endure unpleasantness,
discomfort, and pain. It comes in the form of physical suffering (e.g.
physical sensations such as discomfort, hunger, distress,
homelessness, and pain from an injury, disease, or even lack of basic
needs) and mental suffering (e.g. emotional and mental states such as
depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and grief). Disappointments and
rejections in life may also be a cause of suffering. More often, we
normally experience adversities in life and how we deal with them is
determined by our mindset regarding suffering. After all, without pain
and suffering, we are unable to grow and improve to become wiser and
tougher. Thus, our positive experiences might lose meaning and
significance without the recognizance of one’s suffering and difficulties
in life.
WHAT’S MORE
What you will do

Instructions: Interview someone older than

you. It could be your parents, teachers,
neighbors, or anyone acquainted to you. Ask
the same questions you have asked to
 yourself in the previous activity. This time,
ask also for
their own personal bucket list and do not forget to let them sign for
credibility.
Make a narrative report for this activity.
Questions:
1. What makes you happy?
2. What is your perception about real happiness?
3. Do you prefer a life without suffering/adversities? Justify your answer.

With all these growth and development of various forms of

societies, the human interactions are also growing more complex
over the span of time. Factors like science and technology
advancements and cultural changes brought improvement to the
society along with complexity and various ethnicities. But despite
these innovations and developments, the human person still
remains the heart of the society and drives social changes based
on respective responses and needs for the betterment.

WHAT I HAVE
LEARNED?
Directions: Answer the
following questions
using your own words:
Express your answer in 5 sentences.

1) What does living a meaningful life mean

to you?
2) What objectives do you feel you need to
achieve
before you can say that you have lived a meaningful life? Give at least
two (2) objectives and justify it.

WHAT I CAN DO?

Make a personal “Bucket List” of what you wish to
do or accomplish in life. List them in your Activity
Notebook.

In addition, answer these questions that

follow and write your answers at the bottom
of your bucket list.
a. Why did you choose these things to be in your “Bucket
List”?
b. Which among these do you feel is the easiest to accomplish in your
lifetime?
c. Which would be the most difficult to do?