About The Responsibility of The Meaning
I do have heard that from my students: "You can't fill your belly with meaning. You can't pay your bills with meaning." Nor can you fill a life with "McJunk" was my answer. What happens in a society that calls meaning a luxury? Meaning is something like a responsibility, it is not merely a need. By definition meaning goes well beyond ourselves, it goes beyond our lives and it tends towards the people around us, the people we care about, the people we love. Meaning is valuing what is worthwhile, what does matter in lasting human terms: love, care, relations, well lived lives. Malala Yousafzai the Pakistani little 14 year girl recently shot by the taliban, personifies this truth and took full responsibility of her belief (the Foreign Minister of Pakistan told on CNN she refused the protection plan from the police). With very simple and straight words, with an unmatched courage she reminds to all of us that the value of meaning is the essence of life. She gave us a great example and a direction to follow: during our daily fight to build a better and sustainable future, there is nothing more pragmatic than looking up in the sky to breath for a moment. It's a relief, not a luxury.
The Top 50 Business Thinkers is the definitive global ranking of management thinkers published every two years: last edition was 2011 and next will be in 2013. Why am I talking about this topic? Because while reading the list, I was amazed to find out that 3 out of the 50 best thinkers are also among my favorite authors! I believe these are invaluable readings for two main reasons: 1) their findings, the results of their studies and 2) the mind set of the authors who are shifting paradigmes in the business world and in our culture. You can check these two links in my blog, to find these books and eventually about other very valuable readings: 
I did not know the meaning of the word “Eudaimonia” before reading the articles and the posts of
Meaningful Brands For A Truly Compelling Consumer Experience
The industrial definition of prosperity is optimizing the production for “more, bigger, faster, cheaper” consumption of goods and stuff. But today people’s values are shifting towards a more human definition of prosperity in which what it truly matters is to live a meaningful life, with true ...