It’s usually a great feeling to set goals and achieve every single one of them. It makes you trust yourself more and motivates you to pursue relatively higher goals. But so often the euphoria of achieving set goals fades sooner than anticipated.
I remember when I set out to publish my first self made magazine. I knew it was going to be nothing short of an herculean task but with much determination and a ton of hard work, I realized my goal. It was a dream come true and it meant a lot to me.
But all that excitement waned in a matter of hours, say 2-3 hours. I felt so normal afterwards, like nothing had been done or achieved. So I curiously asked my friend what he thought about this up and down kind of feeling. His answer was quite flat- “Oh, you feel this way so that you can do more to bring back that short-lived feeling of fulfillment“.
To him, fulfillment was more of a mere concept that didn’t really apply to our day to day living. He agreed with me that the feeling of fulfillment was beautiful alright but he just didn’t believe that we could live with that feeling.
He was ok with just making short trips in and out of this feeling but I wasn’t. What if this feeling of fulfillment were our ever present companion in the journey of life?
What if this feeling of fulfillment were our ever present companion in the journey of life?
Ever since the brief conversation with my friend, I’ve endeavored to learn primarily through observation how fulfillment really works. I’ve come to understand a few things about fulfillment today that have tremendously impacted the quality of my life.
I don’t pursue fulfillment these days. Why do I need to when it is an integral part of my being? Just as it wouldn’t make any sense to you to eagerly pursue your legs it makes zero sense to me to pursue fulfillment. Rather than work so that I can feel fulfilled at the end, I work with my innate ever abiding sense of fulfillment.
There is this notion that when people are fulfilled, they become demotivated and complacent. Thus the only way to spur people on is by keeping fulfillment as far from them as possible. So people are told “do this and that, then you’ll be fulfilled“.
Once they do these things, another voice quickly breaks in “how can you be fulfilled after what you’ve done… you think it’s enough?”. No wonder stress is on the high in our workplaces. We aren’t giving people life’s best. Instead of allowing them to be internally motivated by their sense of fulfillment, we’re dangling some carrots over their heads and trying to manipulate things from the outside.
When you are plugged into your sense of fulfillment, you have at your disposal an incredible wealth of creativity and infinite possibilities. It is then that you get to recognize life as a game and enjoy it heartily while it lasts.
This is my take on fulfillment.You don’t have to agree with me or even argue this out. But what you can do is to put all that I’ve said here to the test. It has worked for me by giving me a healthy work- life balance and improving my mental health. Maybe, it might also help you in some ways.
Before I end this article, let me state emphatically my point:
• The sense of fulfillment is your birthright, you don’t have to earn it.
• If there’s any work around your sense of fulfillment, it isn’t about working to experience fulfillment in the end. Rather, it’s about working with and from your sense of fulfillment.
• You’re your most creative self when you work from that inner sense of fulfillment.
