Finding Meaning!
While most of The OPA! Way® website is open, the sections titled FINDING MEANING!, ALL THINGS GREEK!, and the OPA! BLOG Comments are only open to members of the OPA! Village. So join the OPA! Village today—where you can learn more about Meaning, Philosophy, Health, and other fun and interesting topics! It’s free!
Welcome to Finding Meaning!
Over the years, we have been consulting and advising thousands of individuals and leaders in all stages and walks of life, including those working in some of the most admired organizations around the world, in the areas of Innovation Management and Personal Growth/Leadership Development focused on Meaning. A few years ago, we noticed that something was changing. More and more people told us that they were losing enthusiasm (a word that comes from the Greek language and means "manifesting the spirit within") and meaning in their personal and work lives; that they were just rushing through life, going through the motions. They wanted to know that their work mattered, that their life mattered, and that they were making a positive difference in the world. The question people kept asking us was: “How can we live more meaningful lives?"
So we decided to go in search of an answer. As Alex is a Greek-American, it seemed natural to visit Greece to seek wisdom in the traditional villages and from the ancient philosophers. It also seemed natural to visit Greece since the nation is undergoing tremendous changes right now—economically, politically, socially, and psychologically. If we could learn how the Greeks are thriving, not just surviving, during this Crisis, then we could share their lessons with those around the world who may face similiar challenges in the future.
"Man—a being in search of meaning."—Plato (Πλάτων)
On our journey, we visited many Greek villages and were met by villagers with amazing hospitality:
- We were welcomed in to enjoy simple meals of feta cheese, olives, freshly-baked bread, fresh vegetables and fruit with local villagers sharing what they had
- We danced on the very beach where Zorba danced and felt the burdens of life lifted from our shoulders
- We rose at dawn to watch the fishermen return with their early morning catches
- We walked in the footsteps of the Minoans and marveled at their high quality of life, lived so many millennia ago
- We discovered that even in the busy, big city of Athens, “there’s always time for coffee,” there’s always time to connect with other people in an authentic way
- We read the ageless wisdom of Heraclitus, Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, among many others, and discovered that thousands of years ago, they too, were seeking answers to the same questions we ask today—"How do we live the good life?”; "How do we live better, more fulfilled lives?"
- We sat with Greek villagers of all ages to listen to their life stories so we could learn and later share the lessons of their life journeys
- We explored, we listened, and we learned
We had an AHA! or as we now call it, an OPA! moment when we realized that the Greeks we had met on our journey truly knew how to live! They know how to build community, to treat each other well, and to connect in authentic, meaningful ways. They know that they must embrace all of life—all the ups and downs, all the difficulties and joys. They know that we must live not just with our "heads," but with our whole selves—Mind, Body, & Spirit.
The OPA! Way® Difference:
In combination with our travels throughout Greece, our thousands of interviews, and our previous work and research on the topic of the search for Meaning, we developed a unique and powerful paradigm called The OPA! Way®. Our approach is different because we strongly believe that all of life, including all transitions or changes in our personal and work lives, must be anchored to the "Core of Meaning." Without this anchor, activities in both our personal and work lives are just that, "activities" that may keep us busy or that may appear on the surface to be in alignment with our higher purpose but really are not.
The OPA! Way®: Core of Meaning
The OPA! Way® is a new paradigm that enables you to connect to this Core of Meaning. Join the OPA! Village to learn more...and/or contact us directly. OPA!
