Why A "Full-Life" Isn't The Key To Fulfillment And Purpose

I think we can all agree that we are all seeking a fulfilling and purposeful life. Those late nights searching for your life's purpose and trying to understand your existence?  We've all been there. We want to wake up happy and spend our days feeling satisfied, yet that isn't always the case. It is hard to feel fulfilled sometimes. 

The funny this is that when something feels off in our life, our first reaction is often to add more and more to our plates than we can handle because we want to feel that feeling of doing something that gives you meaning. We take on more because it means more exhilaration and less weariness, right?

Why A Full Life Doesn't Equal Fulfilment.

When you think of a full life, you maybe think of traveling, parties, money, success, and experiencing new things (many of the things you can't do in the state of the world right now). Somehow that's become the conceptualization of what it really means to live a fulfilling and purposeful life. 

But life does not have to be filled up with occurrences and activities to be satisfying. And that is just my unpopular opinion. You don't have to fill every moment of your day with something to do because you think it will make you more content, peaceful, or pleased for that matter.  I say that yet, I've adopted the opposite mindset for most of my pathetic life. 

In varsity, I juggled my coursework, a student job, modeling, mentoring students, and maintaining friendships and relationships. Looking back on it, I am not sure how on earth I managed to do all of that. I seriously thought that working three jobs would make my life more meaningful and rewarding and that by having these jobs I would finally find my purpose. And all it did was stress me out. I ended up having to leave doing modeling and mentoring students. And this coming from someone who has decent time management skills. 

That year taught me that I cannot keep overscheduling myself. I also realized that I need to lower my self-expectations and be okay with doing only a few things I can actually get done instead of doing every.single.thing.

I think the reason why I took on so much to do is that I wanted people especially my friend I wanted them to see me as this hardworking individual whos not lazy. Because they were always busy doing something, And I wanted to keep up. Which is not the best thing to do. I have realized that I need to stop competing and get things done at my pace. 

Forcing life to be "full" can lead to less fulfillment and purpose. In fact, a busy life can prevent you from being present for things that actually matter. You need to find a way to slow down if you feel like you are always busy chasing after something and wanting to get a tone of things done to feel like you have accomplished something significant. Slow down and appreciate the moment you're in. 

What Fulfillment  Really Looks Like

Just to be clear I am not saying that your life should be empty, but it also doesn't have to be a go-go to be fulfilling. A fulfilling life can be soft, quiet, and modest. 

As I am writing this post I am in the moment. I'm at my little desk in the corner of my room, listening to my favorite playlist on Spotify and letting my thoughts unfold. I could think of so many other things I need or want to do right now, but for now, I'm just enjoying this as it is. I am in the moment and that feels worthy to me. It's not the most special moment but at the same time, it is because I make it feel like the most special. I know it might not sound exciting, but maybe that's why we hold on to the concept of fulfillment. We presume fulfillment means thrilling, but occasionally it's simple, serene, and underrated. 

We too get stuck when we think we need to feel fulfilled every second of the day. If you do not feel fulfilled all the time, it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. Fulfillment is a balancing act between moments of pure pleasure, joy, and stillness. One of the most perplexing things is learning to be okay with this doubleness of life. 

Fulfillment to me is the act of being able to balance between moments of pure pleasure and stillness

You don't have to rush to add new things to your life when you feel unfulfilled. Conceivably you need to remove instead. And after all, isn't it better to do a few things remarklebly well than many things in a ordinary manner.

Often we can find more fulfillment simply by observing. Ever noticed every now and again when you feel a sense of calmness. When you are going for a walk, notice how you put one foot in front of the other foot without thinking about it. Sometimes that in itself is sufficient to amaze me and bring me back to that sense of tranquility. 

What does a fulfilling life mean to you? 

I truly hope this posthas given you something to think about when it comes to making your own life fulfilling. Remember that what's fulfilling to others may not be fulfilling to you. Listen to what you want, and attempt not to get proccupiedby what everyone else is doing.

If this post resonated with you, Please I'd love if you share it with your friends or someone who might enjoy it.