Morality is the core question we struggle with in striving to live with purpose. Morality is concerned with the alleviation of suffering and causation of joy, especially among our fellow human beings. May the following points serve you well as guides to a life of significance.
Take Care Of Yourself
This is the foundation from which it is possible to impact others in a positive way. Do not neglect your needs; instead ensure they are satisfied. From the springs of abundance flow forth the waters of self-actualization.
Seek Growth Continually
The more you learn, the more complete your world view becomes. Learning about other cultures around the world will help you see how others live and think about the world, and help you to have a more balanced vantage point. Anything relating to psychology and sociology are also very good topics to learn how to relate other others better and understand more of their motivations and actions. Besides academic subjects, seek to learn more about the people around you. Ask good questions to find out how they feel and what makes them tick. It will come in handy for the next key point.
Live By The Platinum Rule
The Platinum Rule supersedes the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule simply states "treat others as you would want to be treated." The key point missing there is that not everyone wants to be treated the same. The Golden Rule promotes a myopic world view.
The Platinum Rule, on the other hand, forces you to change your paradigm. It's all about walking in someone else's shoes in terms of your thought process. In order to try and imagine how someone else is feeling or will react to something, you have to get to know something about them. This rule promotes tolerance by recognizing that everyone is different.
Imagine you upset someone by laughing at something you thought was funny that they said, when they didn't think it was funny at all. Using the Golden Rule, you did exactly what you should have done, because they should have seen the situation the same as you did, right? You can justify your actions by saying, "Had our roles been reversed, I would have wanted her to laugh." This is very limited thinking, and you learn nothing by pursuing the Golden Rule.
In that same situation, let's say you are using the Platinum Rule paradigm. Now, you are open to exploring different options as to how your actions would have been hurtful to the other person. You accept their feelings as valid. This leads to learning and growth, and you don't have a pride issue. You can apologize for hurting their feelings, and ask them why they were hurt. Let them know you want to understand their point of view.
Giving Selflessly
There are few better ways to grow into a better person than giving of yourself to others in need. Be it a charity, your church, or whatever individual or organization you believe you can serve. Now, the very best way to become a better person from giving is to give your TIME. Volunteering is the single best way to benefit from giving because you get to experience your gift first hand...you ARE your gift.
Donating money is also a good way to give, but it is an indirect method of contribution. It can still make you a better person though, especially when you are a giver on a consistent basis. If you still give selflessly even when things are not going well in your personal life, you will become a better person. The fire of a tough time in your life helps forge the better person when you go through it with the right spirit.
It is important to note that your giving must be selfless in order to contribute to you becoming a better person. That means you don't seek the spotlight, remind other people that you gave, or expect something in return for your giving. As far as I'm concerned if you do any of these things, you've canceled out your gift, and perhaps even have a negative balance in your "better person account".