Are You Fulfilled
Are You Fulfilled: How to Assess Where you are Now to Determine Where You Want to Be
When you think about the life you have now, what do you feel? Is it joy and contentment or do you find yourself doubting your fulfillment? Are you wondering if you’re on the right path or starting to regret the path you took? Sometimes, right in the middle of the paths we realize that we want to change direction or start on a completely new one. For some it’s a new career and for others it’s starting a brand new chapter in a different country. When you start feeling restless in your life, you have to ask yourself whether you’ve fallen into a temporary rut or if you need to return to the drawing board. An honest assessment is the perfect way to be clear and sure of things before you make any huge and potentially permanent decisions.
I’m Feeling Unfulfilled. Do I See This Lasting for More than a Year?
If fulfillment and joy are becoming increasingly elusive it’s important to consider whether it’s a permanent thing or a temporary setback. Even the happiest people face dark days and difficult periods. Sometimes these are just setbacks before a major upswing and sometimes the feeling alerts us to areas that require transformation. If you have lost the hope that your disposition is going to change – it’s time to start thinking about adjustments.
Am I Happy with Where I Live
Environment has a lot to do with how you feel. It’s important to feel at home, at ease and in total control of your own destiny. Living the life of your dreams means living in a city or country that brings out the best in you. If you find yourself struggling to enjoy where you are, or if you feel like you’ve outgrown a place you can start to consider making a change. Note that moving is a huge decision and one that requires much consideration. Do research and learn as much as you can before taking the plunge.
Am I Enjoying my Work?
Work is a big factor in how we feel, not just because of how much money it makes us, but also in terms of how it contributes to our fulfillment. People want to enjoy the work they do and feel that they are doing their jobs well. Once that starts to slip from our fingers, it’s easy to start questioning everything. Think deeply about what you hate about your job and find out if there’s room for you to take on more responsibility at your current company. If not, explore changing companies. If the issue is about the industry or career path, it’s possible that your job does not align with your passion. With some soul searching you’ll find out where you really want to be and move towards it.
Is Something Missing?
Sometimes lack of fulfillment voices itself with the feeling that something’s missing in our lives. When you start to feel incomplete, it’s easy to begin wondering if you’re on the wrong path. To overcome this, you have to dig deep and figure out what you’re really missing. Do you want more adventure or do you want to find a sense of belonging? The true answers to those questions are found in deep soul searching and getting in touch with your inner voice. You might find that what you really needed was to be more spiritual to truly be at peace.
Am I Constantly Wishing for Something Else?
Finally, is your lack fulfillment revealing itself in envy and jealousy? Do you wish your life was different and resent people who have the life you want? The solution to this is to stop drowning in negative feelings and start creating the life you’re longing for. Instead of envying other people’ lives start learning from them to improve your own and make it a life you’re proud of.
Am I in the Right Relationship?
Who we are with determines a lot about how we feel, and we’ve seen it before – the people who decide to stay in relationships out of comfort and not out of love. This has a lot more to do with fear than it does with actual happiness and fulfillment. Relationships become comfortable blankets we hold onto and if they are wrong for us, we might end up stuck in them because the idea of starting afresh is incredibly terrifying. So if you want to assess where you are, you’re going to have to have to assess your romantic relationship (if you’re in one). Where you want to be in love has a lot to do with looking where you are now, whether you’re single or not. Think about the relationship you want to be in, the qualities you look for in a partner and things that are absolutely non-negotiable. What’s between where you are right now and where you want to be is the choice to become fulfilled.
Am I Excited to Wake up Every Day?
Life isn’t perfect and you won’t feel good everyday but when you’re fulfilled, you have a reason to wake up and a reason to want to contribute to the world. Life is about progress and this comes to life every single morning we get up. If waking up every morning feeling like life is a drag and you would rather hide in your covers all day, it’s time to reassess and rethink your level of fulfillment. The energy we give the earth when we wake up is the level of energy that meets us as we venture through the day. If it’s a struggle, that means you don’t have enough reason, purpose or inspiration to get out of bed. Purpose comes in the form of people, a calling in life, a job you live for or just a cause you care deeply about. All these things drive us forward and they drive our fulfillment, something that makes life worth living.
