What makes us feel fulfilled?
What does it mean to be fulfilled?
Is fulfilment an ideal state or a state of mind?
Can you feel fulfilled based on your current situation relative to your past?
Can you only feel fulfilled in the present?
Can you lose the sense of fulfilment?
Can you be fulfilled in the present without having come to terms with the past?
Can you be fulfilled in the present with the unknown of the future?
Do material possessions provide fulfilment?
Does having responsibility contribute to fulfilment?
How do we achieve fulfilment?
What do we need in life, or what are some guidelines to work towards to help achieve fulfilment?
Let's start with the adjective of being fulfilled; 'to be satisfied or happy because of fully developing one's abilities or character'.
Some synonyms; satisfied, content, happy, pleased, gratified, comfortable, untroubled, at ease, at peace.
Given that every individual is at a different stage in their life, that they've had different experiences up until the present moment. We will all have differing views on what will lead to a fulfilling life.
I think the idea that we can ever 'fully develop' our abilities or character is a fallacy, to assume that we are fully developed means a lack of ambition for the future and implies a complacency.
If we develop complacency it assumes we are happy with what we've accomplished and are content with staying still. But as we move through our own stages in life, we need to evolve what provides us with fulfilment and shed the goals that no longer serves a purpose.
An analogy I'd liken fulfilment too, is to imagine an lake filled with stepping stones, each of the stones representing a milestone in the goal of reaching the other side. Once we've reached the other side, we will feel fulfilled.
If there were 100's of stones that you need to cross in order to get to the other side of the lake. Could you imagine anyone making it half way across and thinking, 'well I'm half way, that's more than I thought I would accomplish so I'm happy now, I'll just stay here'.
We need to continue to make progress, to reach a goal. If we stop at any point, we will remain on that stone, whilst time passes us by. That is why it's important to continue to make progress, even if they're just small steps, our intention needs to remain to reach the other side.
Now imagine you've reached the other side, Congratulations! What next? Do you stay on the other side of the lake? What is the new goal? Where else would you like to go? If you stay still, you will encounter the same problem you had when you were only half way across.
The analogy hopefully creates a frame of reference, that even if you've achieved what you set out to, that you always need to be reevaluating the next goal, or the next path you're wanting to take.
If we revisit the adjective to describe fulfilment, is it even possible 'to be satisfied or happy because of fully developing one's abilities or character'. It seems that to be fully developed, assumes that nothing else can be achieved, that there is no path forward, to have reached nirvana.
I think it's important to remember that at the time of reading this post;
- you are the oldest you've ever been - you've accomplished a lot of goals, both big and small.
- you are the youngest you will ever be - you can set any direction for your future that you desire.
With that in mind, it is important to be able to take a deep breath, and to reflect on your life. To look at what you've accomplished, whether you've achieved the goals you set out to, to reflect on whether those goals are still as important and remember that as we move through different stages in our life, what fulfils us will continue to evolve.
Maybe we should define fulfilment as, 'Being happy that right now, you are the furthest you've been in pursuit of your relative goals'.
So what are some goals that we can work towards for achieving a sense of momentary fulfilment?
- Shelter
- Philanthropy - Individual & Many
- Communication - Face to face, Written, Story Telling, Public Speaking
- Love - Family, Partner
- Friendships - Maintaining, New
- Travel - Tourist, Home Country, Expat
- Music - Instrument, Singing
- Reading - Fiction, Non Fiction, Articles, Opinions, Research
- Career - Dream Job, Current Path, Job, Ikigai
- Health - Fitness, Food consumption, Drink consumption, Drugs including alcohol
- Learning/ Self Development -
- Physical Skills
- Self Awareness
- Crafting - Metal Work, Engineering, Sewing, Woodwork,
- Field of interest - Physics, Economics, Politics, Engineering, Psychology, Environment, History, Neuroscience,
