Ever feel like you’re floating through life as though something vital is missing? You might have short bursts of happiness, but it’s just a matter of time until you default back to a dull, meaningless life. Is there more to this, or will life forever be this bland?
If you feel like your life is pointless, it means you’re unfulfilled. In this case, it’s important to cultivate a deeper sense of fulfillment in life, otherwise, your life is going to lack substance.
Your fulfillment in life 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?
Let’s look at what you can do to discover deeper fulfillment in life, which in turn creates the foundation of a more wholesome life experience.
Understanding fulfillment: Why does life feel so bland?
Ultimately, fulfillment is about finding a sense of meaning in your life’s pursuits.
For me personally, I didn’t feel fulfilled in life until I embarked on a personal growth journey. This opened up some doorways for me, and one thing led to another.
Continuously working on myself and becoming a better person has given me a much deeper sense of joy. This journey has led me down the road of spiritual growth, and as a result, I’ve discovered some profound lessons about life in general.
This is a journey I’m still on today, and one I’m sure I’ll 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 really am underneath all of this fluff.
This overarching purpose to discover and teach has given me a reason to live. This reason to live translates into a deeper fulfillment because I have an anchor.
Values: 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 it’s 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 you’re fulfilling a greater purpose in your life, so you feel fulfilled.
Sounds great, but genuine fulfillment is not so easy to achieve because it’s 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.
Examples of personal fulfillment
Personal 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 that’s what you want in life. Maybe you’re an ambitious person who wants to make a mark in the world or create something incredible.
If you’re 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, that’s 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 deep fulfillment comes through being at service to something bigger than you.
If you live just for yourself, you might feel satisfied, but you’re not going to fulfill your higher self who wants to be at service.
Reasons why you're feeling so unfulfilled in life
In today’s world, our lives have become extremely superficial, and you wonder why you feel unfulfilled. Here you’re learning and growing which is good, but I can only imagine how much virtual sewage you ingest daily.
The endless scrolling. The bullshit politics and propaganda are being pushed out. All the bleak entertainment, ads, and marketing that fill your mind with superficial nonsense you don’t need.
Let’s face it, our society is a shit show. It’s designed to dumb us down, not enrich our lives with meaning.
Just think about it,
We’re 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 doesn’t go extinct.
That’s the lingo of a good life. Gain and consume. But there is something seriously wrong with this picture.
Today’s world doesn’t acknowledge the role of individual pathways. It doesn’t teach you the importance of exploring your life journey and what resonates with you. It doesn’t teach us about the importance of personal growth, spirituality, or being at service to something bigger than oneself.
Instead, we’re all pushed (or attempted to be pushed) into this tiny little box that is simply degrading. Then when we’re in this little box, we think ‘This is it?’
Of course, this is going to lead to an unfulfilling and depressing life because you’re not following your truth. Let’s get into that more in this article below:
So let’s 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 perspective, a reevaluation of priorities, and a conscious effort to live in alignment with personal values and aspirations.
You pursue validation
Seeking fulfillment solely from external sources, such as material possessions, societal expectations, or others’ approval will always lead to disappointment.
You have no clarity
Uncertainty about personal values, goals, or passions can hinder the pursuit of true fulfillment. How do you expect to be fulfilled if you’re just drifting through life with no overarching purpose?
You compare yourself to others
Constantly comparing yourself to others’ achievements or lifestyles can diminish the appreciation of your unique journey. Stop looking at the surface layer, and look at what matters.
You feed into cultural pressures
Societal norms might clash with your aspirations which causes a conflict. You need to decide what’s more important, conformity, or authenticity.
I wrote an article about this, I suggest you give it a read:
You're always on the clock
If you’re always busy, your cup is already full. Most likely with bullshit. How can you explore yourself and find a deeper meaning in your life if you’re always occupied? Clear up some space for your self-discovery, and find what’s truly important for you.
Avoid the traps of conventional wisdom
Avoid conventional wisdom like the plague. It’s so generic and cliche, and really just leads you in circles. Trust the wisdom you gain from your own self-exploration, because that’s what’s going to lead you in the right direction.
Seeking fulfillment: A path to inner contentment
Feeling lost isn’t a bad thing.
These feelings of dissatisfaction are telling you an important message. They’re saying that you need to recalibrate your path because you don’t fit into the same box you’ve been living in anymore.
When you see it from this angle, feeling unfulfilled shows you what isn’t working in your life, and that you need to explore. As long as you keep doing the things that don’t make you feel good about your life, you’re going to keep running into this wall.
So you might be wondering, now what?
You still feel like you’re at a dead end in life, so what can you do to turn this ship around? Let’s explore some ways that you can gain more clarity on your path below.
Recognize the role of spirituality
Spirituality isn’t just about rituals and practices, it’s about finding one’s 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 level. They won’t question anything or explore their realities, but all it takes is something to shake their reality hard enough, and the whole house of cards to come crashing down.
The spiritual path is undoubtedly the most fulfilling path you can take, but it’s a long road. It’s going to get tough sometimes, but you’re 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 purpose in your life.
Embrace your individuality
You need to start walking your path because you can never walk down someone else’s. When you embrace your individuality, new doorways open up. It can be alienating to venture into the darkness by yourself, but it’s 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 they’re looking for.
No two people resonate with the same things, and that’s 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 it’s important to live by your heart, actually live by your heart, especially when it hurts! Don’t 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.
Spend plenty of time reflecting
It’s important to reflect often. You gain valuable feedback by regularly thinking about what you’re doing, and what could use improvement.
When you sit with your feelings, you can tap into your inner guidance much more easily. The head fog will start to part, and you’ll gain a lot more clarity about the steps you need to take moving forward.
Be authentic
If you’re pretending to be someone you’re not, you’re not going to be fulfilled. How could you when your center is outside of yourself? What’s the point?
Unfortunately, I would argue that most of us aren’t authentic. We’re all just playing the game to be someone in this world, without knowing why we’re doing it, or what it’s leading us to.
This is why it’s so important to be authentic if you want to find deeper fulfillment in your life. That’s because you can only be so fulfilled when you’re out of alignment with who you really are.
Learn how to become more authentic in the article below:
Prioritize personal growth
If you haven’t 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 you’re 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.
Be more mindful
Commit yourself to being more mindful. Life can seem incredibly bland when we’re all caught up in our minds. After all, what is the point if you’re not here and now, experiencing this life journey for what it is?
Start by doing small everyday practices, and continuously bring yourself back to the present moment. You can learn more about practicing mindfulness in the article below.
Set authentic goals
Start by creating goals that align with your values. This is how you can keep yourself on track, and make sure you’re progressing towards better things.
If you want to help other people out, think about how you can do that, and what it takes to get there. Break this major goal into smaller goals which not only lead you towards a bigger mission but also feel amazing just to be moving in the right direction.
Be at service
If you’ve been in this game for a minute now, you’re 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 don’t 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. Not that I’ve experienced anyway.
To learn about why the heart space is so important in your fulfillment journey, follow me through the link below, and let’s get started.