“Your soul is attracted to people the same way flowers are attracted to the sun; surround yourself only with those who want to see you grow.”-Pavana
Do you feel satisfied with the life you are living? Or are you stuck in a vicious cycle of stress, anxiety, and constant worry? Do you really want to find peace and fulfillment in your everyday life? You are certainly not alone. Perhaps it is time to stop, reflect and act. If you are not in love with your life, change it. And if you are thinking, “it’s too late,” think again. I started changing my life, a life I didn’t like, in my mid-40s. If you are a woman in your 50s and reading this, it’s time to start changing gears. As always, one step at a time.
“You have to establish in your life some sense of prioritizing things, of giving emphasis to the important things and of laying aside the unimportant things that will lead to nothing”-Gordon B. Hinckley
The quote above summarizes my approach to happiness and fulfillment in life.
So much of our time here on Earth is wasted chasing away temporary happiness. We spend lots of money acquiring material things that we soon are going to forget. We miss important birthdays, anniversaries, and time with our loved ones because we are too busy saying yes to job projects that aren’t worth it in the end. Or we are so preoccupied with making more money so we can be “happier.” Happiness is a state of mind.
Stop wasting your time and energy pursuing things that won’t reward you with long-term happiness.
Living a fulfilling life and the concept of happiness are intrinsically connected. If you have read some of my past blog posts, you know that I have already discussed the topics of life purpose, aging gracefully, and being at peace with the process of aging, among others. All these concepts are interconnected with the subject of happiness.
Click here for a book recommendation
The current piece will examine the concept of living a happy and fulfilling life. I will specifically focus on how to find that fulfillment. What are the most important factors for living a happier life? I will also offer additional tips and advice you need to follow to achieve that elusive happiness.
For starters, it’s important to note that there’s an unfortunate reason why happiness is often elusive; our brains simply aren’t wired that way. The human brain has evolved to survive, to protect ourselves, to keep us safe. Granted, we have moments of joy and periods of contentment and bliss. But many of us are plagued with persistent negative emotions.
If happiness is available to us at any moment through the power of our minds, why does it seem so hard to do? In a sense, we must reset our baseline. It won’t happen overnight, but we can develop several things and practices to achieve a life of happiness and contentment. Read on to find out how! The goal is to live our best lives.
What does Fulfilled mean?
According to the article, 5 Habits to a Fulfilled Life by contributor Alex Barker: “Fulfilled is defined, “satisfied or happy because of fully developing one’s abilities or character.” Being fulfilled is a process through failure and victories, rather than focusing on one specific moment. fulfilling life comes from building habits that lead to joy.”
The objective here is to find fulfillment as a continuum in everyday life, rather than a moment of joy (wedding, birth of a child, graduation) that won’t last but a short time. Being happy goes beyond just pleasant emotions. Learning to remain joyful throughout the day can have significant positive effects on physiology and even improves overall mental function.
It’s interesting the approach of achieving happiness from a spiritual perspective: to be happy is not the ultimate aspect of life. It is the fundamental aspect of life. If you are not satisfied, what else can you do with your life? Only if you are happy can other great possibilities open up. People who depend on external situations to be happy will never know true joy in their lives. It is definitely time we look inward and see how to create personal wellbeing. From your own life experience, you can clearly see that true wellbeing will come to you only if your interiority changes.
Therefore, a fulfilled life is not defined by a moment of accomplishment; instead, it is determined by healthy habits. Creating a fulfilling life means daily acts that, over time, generate satisfaction. Healthy habits lead to this satisfaction. This path isn’t easy; it takes effort and conviction. The road to change-like I have said multiple times-is paved with blood, sweat, and tears. But know that your habits define the life you live. It’s doable, so the sooner you start, the better.
The foundation of how to find fulfillment in life
Before I give some helpful suggestions about how to build happiness and satisfaction in your life, I should start by stating the foundation-or pillar- to begin your journey to a fulfilled life.
If you aren’t healthy (not only physically but also emotionally) and don’t remain healthy as you age, it’s hard to enjoy life-much less find it fulfilling. – If you have been following my blog, you know that this last statement is the seed of my blog. If you are not familiar with my posts, I suggest you take a look because there is plenty of helpful information and valuable advice to create a healthy life for yourself as a woman in her fifth decade of life.
You have to engage in life to be happy, and good health allows you to engage at an optimal level.
Among all the other components that a healthy lifestyle contains, exercise and mindful eating foster good health and provide a general sense of positivity, wellbeing, energy, and self-esteem.
In terms of your emotional health, you must own your own life. And the only way to truly do this is to practice self-love. One of the most valuable advice is that you have to love yourself first before someone else can love you. The kind of relationships you will materialize in your life is precisely the externalization of your relationship with yourself. Your loving relationships are reflections of your inner relationship. Learn to be loving, supportive, respectful to yourself, and you will materialize the same quality in your relationships.
If you master these physical and emotional health concepts, you are way ahead of the game to achieve fulfillment.
The most important factor for living a happy and fulfilling life
Although it may sound like a cliche, what matters most for living a life of happiness and fulfillment it’s love. A robust body of research confirms that there’s one thing that surpassed everything else in terms of importance for living a life of happiness and fulfillment. Quality relationships keep us happier and healthier. Building meaningful relationships over possessions is the best gift you can get for a happy life.
It doesn’t matter how much money you have, how successful, or how much social status or authority you have acquired at your job. Nor does it matter how many followers you have on social media.
Having someone to rely on helps your nervous system to relax. It keeps your brain healthier for longer and reduces the amount of physical and emotional pain that your brain and body have to process.
It’s not about quantity but quality in your close relationships. And it’s not whether you are in a committed romantic relationship. In short, the root of happiness is not money, fame, or good looks; it’s the people we choose to surround ourselves with and how well we nurture our relationships with them.
The top two predictors of a long, happy life are close relationships and social integration, that is, the interaction you have with all sorts of people throughout your day. Interacting with others influences the body’s chemical processes, improving our health by lowering our cortisol levels and increasing the release of dopamine. In simple terms, people need people.
Having loving, supportive relationships, including your spouse/partner, friends, family, and work associates, is the most important ingredient for a fulfilling life.
According to clinical psychologist Sue Johnson:
“Good relationships aren’t just happier and nicer. When we know how to heal (relationships) and keep them strong, they make us resilient.
“All these cliches about how love makes us stronger aren’t just cliches; it’s psychology. Connection with people who love and value us is our only safety net in life.”
Additional Tips for a Life of Happiness and Fulfilment
- A sense of purpose or finding meaning.
- A positive mindset or focusing on the positive.
- Experiencing the present moment. Right now is all you have; live in the moment.
- Celebrate little victories.
- Practice mindfulness.
- Find your work-life balance
- Accept imperfection. Life is imperfect, and there is beauty and grace in that imperfection.
- Do what you love.
- Give back. Be generous with your time and your money.
- Be yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others. Do not depend on the approval of others. Accept yourself for who you are.
- Stop worrying. You can not experience joy when you’re consumed by worry.
- Own your age.
- Learn to say no.
- Allow yourself downtime regularly.
- Focus on your personal growth.
- Create and keep good memories.
- Make sense of humor your weapon. Living with a sense of humor cuts out needless stress and drama from your life.
- Know your values. To be fulfilled in life, you need to know what’s most important to you.
- Embrace failure. Failure is evidence of action and risk. It reminds you that you dared to try.
- Practice gratitude. Grateful thinking fosters happiness, bolsters self-esteem, helps people cope with stress, strengthens relationships, and encourages positive behaviors.
And always aim to be more, do more, and have more-and I am not talking about material stuff. – For more book recommendations click the links below:
The Pursuit of Purpose
Living an Extraordinary Life
Conclusion
Things and money and prestige don’t provide the one thing every one of us desires, fulfillment. We want our lives to be deeply satisfying and meaningful, not just at the end of our lives looking back but at every step along the way.
Living a fulfilling life requires mindfully, carefully creating your hours and days to reflect your authentic selves.
Multiple studies suggest that the number one thing to live a fulfilling life is to build meaningful, quality relationships.
In addition, healthy habits such as finding meaning and practicing gratitude lead to a life of satisfaction. Incorporating changes in our lives is not an easy task, and it can’t be achieved overnight. However, where there is a will, there is a want. It’s never too late to start!