Life Is a Distraction Between Two Great Mysteries: Finding Meaning When You Feel Stuck
Carl Jung said, “Life is a luminous pause between two mysteries.”
I’ve been sitting with that lately, and then I thought: life is a distraction between two great mysteries.
In the modern world, we’re constantly pulled in a hundred directions. Work. Family. Social media. The news. The pressure to do something meaningful. But what if meaning isn’t something you achieve—what if it’s something already present needed to be noticed?
As a therapist, I often hear clients say they feel stuck or disconnected. Life has started to feel monotonous, uninspiring, or directionless. And then, there’s a quiet knowing underneath: I want more.
More aliveness. More presence. More connection to what makes life worth living.
Choose Your Distraction Wisely
In this pause between birth and death, we all distract ourselves with something. Whether it’s relationships, work, hobbies, or causes, we spend our days choosing how to engage with the world around us. Even when it doesn’t feel like a choice, we’re following a thread—something that interests us, even if only for a little while.
And those interests? They shift. Something that once gave you life might fade. What feels purposeful today might not tomorrow—and something else might take its place. And that’s natural.
When Life Feels Flat or Monotonous
There are also seasons when nothing feels meaningful. Life slows down. Energy dips. You might feel uninspired or uncertain. These times can be uncomfortable, especially if you’re someone used to staying busy or high-functioning.
But these seasons are necessary. They might be inviting you to truly slow down and rest, to notice what you’ve been giving your energy to and how you’ve been living your life. They might be inviting you to pay attention to what feels performative instead of real. And I would argue that whatever is real, even when it’s small, IS meaningful.
Even something like:
Making your morning coffee with attention.
Saying no to something that once defined you.
Letting yourself rest, without needing to earn it.
Trusting that what’s pulling you now—however small—is enough
What Do You Want Your Life to Be About?
Since we are choosing to spend time in this distraction between two mysteries, it’s worth asking:
What do I want my life to be about?
What makes life worth living—for me?
This isn’t a question you have to answer all at once. It doesn’t have to be a life mission or a five-year plan.
It can simply be a quiet, curious starting point for self-reflection. A gentle exploration of what lights you up—today.
And if nothing’s lighting you up right now? That’s okay too. Sometimes we put pressure on ourselves to find purpose right now—to make our life matter in some big, bold way. But what if purposeful things don’t have to be big? What if meaning isn’t always found in major life decisions or public declarations? Maybe it isn’t always loud or obvious. Sometimes it whispers. Sometimes it hides. And sometimes it returns when you least expect it.