meaningfulness pattern

When i ask how meaningful your life is to some individuals i often get answers like family, friends, my job. Although these answers are quite true, we must look at the root of why these simple answered things that seem to have so much significance in many peoples lives. I feel we tend to find meaning in things that we feel comfortable with, things that bring us some sort of importance and belonging. when i had asked a fellow gym teacher of mine what what meaningful in his life he said "Having the opportunity to interact with young people and give them some sort of guidance.' When i asked the cop what was meaningful in his life he told me to step onto the sidewalk chuckled and said "i don't have time for this." He might not have said much or even answered my question, but to me i had a very good sense of of what was meaningful in his life. He had authority and it made him feel good to act as though he was better then others, this gave him a sense of importance he was "doing his job"(standing in the street staring blankly into the distance) and taking control, that was his meaning of life.