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Ever feel like youโre floating through life as though something vital is missing? You might have short bursts of happiness, but itโs just a matter of time until you default back to a dull, meaningless life. Is it possible to find a deeper sense of fulfillment, or will life forever be this bland?
Your sense of fulfillment refers to a more stable sense of joy that you cultivate by being at service to something bigger than yourself. Generally, people become fulfilled when they discover a reason to live that transcends their own petty needs.
But is it really that simple?
Letโs look at what you can do to discover deeper sense fulfillment in life, which in turn creates the foundation of a more wholesome life experience.
Why Does Life Feel So Bland?
For me personally, I didnโt feel fulfilled until I became more interested in my personal growth. This opened up doorways for me and led me down a very different track in life.
Continuously working on myself and becoming a better person has led to more joy. This journey has led me down the road of spiritual growth, and as a result, Iโve discovered some profound lessons about life in general.
This is a journey Iโm still on today, and one Iโm sure Iโll be on for the rest of my life. This journey has led me to travel the world for many years, to explore spirituality and find out what I am underneath all of this fluff.
Your sense of fulfillment can manifest in many different ways. It might be the exhilaration of achieving a long-term goal, the warmth of nurturing deep connections with loved ones, the peace found in helping others, or the joy of engaging in activities that resonate with your true self.
You might feel fulfilled by starting a family if thatโs what you want in life. Maybe youโre an ambitious person who wants to make a mark in the world or create something incredible.
If youโre an adventurous soul, maybe fulfillment is to explore the world or to explore yourself. Maybe setting yourself on a growth journey is what makes you feel fulfilled in life. Perhaps being at service to humanity, or god.
After all, thatโs what spirituality is all about: Finding deeper meaning in life. So if you feel generally unfulfilled, start exploring your faith.
See the common theme here?
With each example of fulfillment I listed, there is a bigger reason to live than for oneself. This is what leads me to the conclusion that cultivating a sense of fulfillment comes through being at service to something bigger than you.
If you live just for yourself, you might feel satisfied, but youโre not going to fulfill your higher self who wants to be at service.
Your Values Are Your Compass to Fulfillment
Understanding fulfillment involves introspection, self-discovery, and a willingness to explore what truly brings you joy.
While your purpose is the crux of fulfillment, your values are the compass. This is why itโs so important to live in alignment with your values because those values point you toward your purpose.
While momentary pleasures are like sparks, genuine fulfillment is a slow-burning flame, and an inner sensation of wholeness that transcends momentary pleasures. Think of fulfillment as if youโre fulfilling a greater purpose in your life, so you feel fulfilled.
Sounds great, but genuine fulfillment is not so easy to achieve because itโs deeply personal.
Some people might feel fulfilled from accomplishing professional goals. Other people might find fulfillment through nurturing relationships, raising a family, or making a difference in the world.
You need to discover your highest values and use them to find a higher mission for your life.
Reasons Why Youโre Feeling So Unfulfilled in Life
In todayโs world, our lives have become extremely superficial, and you wonder why you feel unfulfilled. Here youโre learning and growing which is good, but I can only imagine how much virtual sewage you ingest daily.
The endless scrolling. The politics, inflammatory news, and endless propaganda you’re constantly exposed to. All the bleak entertainment, ads, and marketing that fill your mind with superficial nonsense you donโt need.
Letโs face it, our society is a shit show. Itโs designed to dumb us down, not enrich our lives with meaning.
Just think about it…
Weโre pushed through school to gain the knowledge needed to join the workforce, make a good living, and eventually retire. Maybe have a kid or two so humanity doesnโt go extinct.
Thatโs the lingo of a good life. Gain and consume. But there is something seriously wrong with this picture.
Todayโs world doesnโt acknowledge the role of individual pathways. It doesnโt teach you the importance of exploring your life journey and what resonates with you. It doesnโt teach us about the importance of personal growth, spirituality, or being at service to something bigger than oneself.
Instead, weโre all pushed (or attempted to be pushed) into this tiny little box that is simply degrading. Then when weโre in this little box, we think โThis is it?โ
Of course, this is going to lead to an unfulfilling and depressing life because youโre not following your truth.
So letโs look into some of the leading reasons why people feel unfulfilled these days. Acknowledging these challenges is the initial step toward transcending them. Overcoming obstacles to fulfillment often involves a shift in your perception of life, a reevaluation of priorities, and a conscious effort to live in alignment with personal values and aspirations.
How to Find a Deeper Sense of Fulfillment
Feeling lost isnโt a bad thing.
These feelings of dissatisfaction are telling you an important message. Theyโre saying that you need to recalibrate your path because you donโt fit into the same box youโve been living in anymore.
When you see it from this angle, feeling unfulfilled shows you what isnโt working in your life, and that you need to explore. As long as you keep doing the things that donโt make you feel good about your life, youโre going to keep running into this wall.
So you might be wondering, now what?
You still feel like youโre at a dead end in life, so what can you do to turn this ship around? Letโs explore some ways that you can gain more clarity on your path below.
Recognize the Role of Spirituality
Spirituality isnโt just about rituals and practices, itโs about finding your place in the world. At the core, spirituality is the internal quest for meaning, a quest that we all embark on sooner or later.
Some people might seem perfectly content on the surface. They wonโt question anything or explore their realities, but all it takes is something to shake their reality hard enough, and the whole house of cards comes crashing down.
The spiritual path is undoubtedly the most fulfilling path you can take, but itโs a long road. Itโs going to get tough sometimes, but youโre constantly breaking barriers and moving into new territory of your consciousness.
You will find your sense of belonging in this world more than ever as long as you walk your unique pathway to wholeness. This is why developing a spiritual outlook acts as the foundation of a deeper sense of fulfillment in your life.
Embrace Your Individuality
You need to start walking your path because you can never walk down someone elseโs. When you embrace your individuality, new doorways open up. It can be alienating to venture into the darkness by yourself, but itโs a necessary move on the chessboard of life.
Some people want to get far in a career and achieve something through it. Other people take to the nomadic lifestyle to seek understanding. Some put all of their energy into their avocations, while others dive deeper into their spiritual practices to find that sense of inner peace theyโre looking for.
No two people resonate with the same things, and thatโs the beauty of it. The question lies in how you proceed forward with your life. Find your truths, and understand that meaning, happiness, and purpose take on a different form for us all.
Live By Your Values
This one is hugely important. If your values in life act as your internal guiding compass, selling out is like throwing it in the ocean.
Your values create a powerful sense of grounding because they tell you the rules of a good life experience. So many people sell out on the easy option. Avoid this at all costs!
If you value honesty, then you must stick to that value and live an honest life. Sometimes ,it might be difficult, and you might even see it as a disadvantage. But living by that value is going to provide a deeper sense of fulfillment than the short-term benefits of cheating your way through.
Likewise, if you think itโs important to live by your heart, actually live by your heart, especially when it hurts! Donโt back out when the sailing gets choppy.
So really refine what your biggest values are in life, and make a conscious effort to stick to them.
Be Authentic To Yourself
If youโre pretending to be someone youโre not, youโre not going to be fulfilled. How could you when your center is outside of yourself? Whatโs the point?
Unfortunately, I would argue that most of us arenโt authentic. Weโre all just playing the game to be someone in this world, without knowing why weโre doing it, or what itโs leading us to.
This is why itโs so important to be authentic if you want to find a sense of fulfillment in your life. Thatโs because you can only be so fulfilled when youโre out of alignment with who you really are.
Prioritize Personal Growth
If you havenโt yet committed to a path of personal growth, you need to make it a priority. By constantly working on yourself, your life experience will change with it. You might not feel fulfilled right this moment, but as long as youโre on the path of inner transformation, you are on a very rewarding journey.
By digging deep into the roots of who you are and what you want out of life, your old patterns begin dismantling as you develop a new awareness of life.
If you feel unfulfilled, then this is your calling to deepen your personal growth journey by exploring new practices and taking on harder challenges. Decide to grow as much as you can, and your reality opens to a whole new dimension.
Practice Mindfulness
Commit yourself to being more mindful. Life can seem incredibly bland when weโre all caught up in our minds. After all, what is the point if youโre not here and now, experiencing this life journey for what it is? Start by doing small mindfulness practices every day and continuously bring yourself back to the present moment.
Be at Service
If youโve been in this game for a minute now, youโre probably well aware that being in service corresponds with feelings of wholeness, purpose, and fulfillment.
As discussed in the article below, the feeling of love is very powerful. When this feeling is applied to a cause that you dedicate yourself to, this act is extremely fulfilling.
You donโt need to be a world changer to make a difference because your effect spreads. If you live at service to a cause and take on the mission from a place of heart, there is nothing that can be more fulfilling.