The opening line of Bruno Bettelheim’s The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales states, “If we hope to live not just from moment to moment, but in true consciousness of our existence, then our greatest need and most difficult achievement is to find meaning in our lives.”

I was first introduced to Bettelheim when I took Children’s Literature at Metro, back when I thought I was going to be a teacher. This was eight to ten years ago and I am just now picking up the book, as part of my Folklore Self-Education project. What struck me about the opening line is Bettelheim relating fairy tales to finding meaning in our lives, specifically children in their younger years. This is not a connection one typically makes.

Ever since my dad died four years ago, I have been slightly obsessed with the search to find meaning in my life. Add to that turning 40 last year and it has become a high priority, on both small and large scales. I have become that annoying person who says things like, “Every day is a gift!” and, “This is the only July 18th, 2019 I am ever going to get so I better spend it well!”

Then, on a large scale, as I see people struggle I wonder what the hell is any of this about? You go to work, to the gym, make dinner, walk the dogs, watch a show and it’s time for bed. Rinse and repeat, to then die! And for some, these daily things are really hard work. This sounds very morbid and depress-y and I assure you it is not. Just contemplative. I feel very fortunate in my life. I have everything I could ever want: great relationships with friends and family, a meaningful job, travel, health, kooky dogs, a garden and yet…I still wonder what is the point? Why am I here? And I realize I am probably making something out of nothing and the whole point of it is to grow my own zucchini and be content with that.

Later, in the intro, Bettelheim says, “To find deeper meaning, one must be able to transcend the narrow confines of a self-centered existence and believe that one will make a significant contribution to life – if not right now, at some future time. This feeling is necessary if a person is to be satisfied with himself and with what he is doing. In order not to be at the mercy of the vagaries of life, one must develop one’s inner resources, so that one’s emotions, imagination, and intellect mutually support and enrich one another. Our positive feelings give us the strength to develop our rationality; only hope for the future can sustain us in the adversities we unavoidably encounter.”

This is a lot to unpack and we are only at page 2 of the intro to the book! What he later gets at, what I believe he is telling me, is to return to the place of childhood curiosity, remove ego and learn all over from the meaning and importance of fairy tales. To see past myself and figure out how to make significant contributions. Easy, peasy….right?

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