Eric Maisel has this concept of meaning oppurtunity , doing things that has a possibility to give one the feeling of meaning . I ask myself doing what gives me joy . Not pleasure or calm but purely joy . Meditation is that one thing .
Hi Tahera, welcome. I like that distinction between joy and pleasure. They really do feel different.
A lot of pleasurable things leave me more restless afterward. The forms of joy that seem to last a bit longer usually involve being fully absorbed in something, hiking, working with my hands, good conversations, sometimes meditation.
I also like the phrase “meaning opportunity.” You don’t have to force meaning out of every moment, just put yourself in places where it has a chance to appear.