Leading a Fulfilling Life: A Dream or a Reality?
Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III begins his famous Memoirs of the Aga Khan by saying: “Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best as we can but a lofty and exalted destiny”.
Being fulfilled is an awesome feeling, but unfortunately, it’s a feeling that many have trouble finding. Fulfillment is an easy concept on the surface, yet it’s so elusive. However, living a fulfilling life is well within the reach of everyone, if pursued wisely. Here are 05 ways to discover some fulfilment.
1. Gratitude is THE Attitude
There are always things to be grateful for, and gratitude reminds us how special, beautiful and fortunate our lives are, even under stressful or hazardous conditions. Let’s learn to make the gratitude as an ‘attitude’. While many of us tend to view and express gratitude in relation to our personal lives, gratitude relating to the work environment, where we earn our livelihood from, is especially critical because it satisfies the higher psychological need to feel a sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves, to feel a sense of meaning at work.
Focusing on the negative leads us to becoming a toxic person. Practicing gratitude has a myriad of benefits, such as happiness, more optimism, and better health. Let’s challenge ourselves to practice gratitude by writing or telling someone one thing you’re thankful for each day.
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2. Make Peace with What We Have
How many times do you hear people utter these words on a daily basis? Many times, I bet.
“If only I had more money, I’d…” or, “If I had more time, I’d…”
Some people are so obsessed with what they don’t have that they never allow themselves to be satisfied with what they do have in life. Constantly having a mindset of wanting more and more will squash any chances we have of acceptance. Embrace acceptance and watch that our stress levels will gradually go down.
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3. Forgive Yourself
Do you beat yourself up (not literally) over things that happened in the past? If so, then you need to stop that immediately. If you don’t show respect and kindness to your own-self, then how can you expect someone else to? How can someone else see how awesome you are if you can’t see it yourself? Forgiveness is not something we do it for others — it’s something we first do it to ourselves. Not forgiving someone is the equivalent of staying trapped in a prison of bitterness, serving time for someone else’s crime.
“It’s a mixture of anger, depression, and blame. But most of all, the opposite of forgiveness is stagnation,” psychologist Kristina Hallett, Ph.D., writes at mbg. “It’s getting mired in an emotional place regarding a particular incident, and it prohibits future growth and discovery. You make the choice to either dwell on the pain caused by others, or you can forgive and move on.”
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4. Who Determines our Self-Worth?
When we compare or compete ourselves to others, in the process, we’re actually devaluing ourselves. Looking at someone else’s life from the outside is the same as looking at a highlight reel. Who knows how long it took them to get to their current position? Let’s not compare our lives with theirs. Learn to collaborate instead of competing.
Go for the greatest “you.” Go for the best you can be — no matter what others around you think. Have a firm belief in the Almighty. Remain in Him. Worry about pleasing Him only. Maintain the real you no matter how others try to perceive you and cause you to misperceive yourself.
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5. Pamper Yourself
I can safely say that most of us do have some sense of humor and smile in our lives. Remember, not everything is a matter of life and death. Feel free to take time off from playing the role of Captain Serious and joke around and act stupid. Give yourself a treat by buying something you wanted for a long time.
Laughter helps people live longer, while also reducing blood pressure. The world would be a better place if we would all quit taking ourselves so seriously and live the moment.
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Last Word
Each one of these 05 tips can help us improve our lives. One of our deep-rooted desires is to live a fulfilled and a happy life. In the age of the internet, social media, and a highly digitized world, it is easy to idealize lifestyles that seem unachievable. One may feel that s/he has lost touch with the things that can make him/her happy. It can seem nearly impossible to balance a successful career and social life while also keeping your health and well-being stable. Figuring out how to live life to its highest potential may feel elusive.
Truthfully, living our best life is within our grasp. One can learn to embrace happiness and achieve inner peace simply by changing and incorporating some healthy habits into his/her life. Sometimes living up to our full potential is just about taking the time for self-care. Taking little moments to meditate, journal, and goal-set can make all the difference.
About the Author
Muhammad Sajwani is the Founder and Managing Director of Evolve HR which aims at transforming, enriching and evolving Human Capital of Pakistan, Evolve HR thrives in challenging assumptions that hinder organisational aspirations, by creating innovative solutions that yield maximum impact, scalability & benefit to a wider base of stakeholders. As a Business Coach and Organisational Consultant, Sajwani knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.
