The Necessity of Fulfilment: Finding Purpose and Happiness
Karla Taylor
11 March 2025
Many people go through life from birth to death without ever finding fulfilment. Unfortunately, this is often due to the compromises they make along the way. They take jobs they dislike for the paycheck, marry out of fear of being alone, and make small decisions that lead them further from satisfaction. Over time, these temporary compromises become long-term decisions, and personal satisfaction becomes something others enjoy, but not them.
Fulfilment becomes something they have to fight for, but it's worth it. To achieve fulfilment, one must first understand what it truly means. It involves living in the moment, discovering possibilities, and striving towards them. True fulfilment is realised when looking back on life and feeling satisfied with the goals achieved and the path taken.
Fulfilment becomes something you have to fight for.
Is it worth it?
…you need to understand what fulfilment is first.
The path to fulfilment is one of discovery, of living in the moment, of seeing the possibilities and then striving toward them.
True fulfilment comes at the end when you look back on your life and see whether you met those goals. Are you satisfied with how you lived it? Have you accomplished what you’ve dreamed of? Are you content with the path your life has taken?
Fulfilment then becomes necessary in so many ways. When you’re living a life of fulfilment:
You Positively Impact the World
What have you given back to the world? We all have an innate desire to leave behind some kind of legacy. Being able to do something significant to impact the world positively is the ultimate culmination of that kind of impact.
When you’re fulfilled, you’re better able to give of yourself to others. This is because your skills are more developed, and you’re now ready to share those gifts with those around you.
You Feel the Gratification of Having Accomplished Your Goals
Let’s face it, there’s something that just feels good about accomplishing what you’ve set out to do.
When you’re fulfilled, you’re able to embrace the satisfaction of having accomplished what you’ve set out to do. You’ve shown what you’re capable of and have grown as in individual in the process. You’re better and stronger than you’ve ever been before. Revel in the feeling and soak up the gratification that comes with it.
Your Life Becomes One of Contentment
Your fulfilment journey is going to lead you on a clear path. What makes this wonderful is all the ways you’re going to be able to design your life to fit around this path.
The things you find important, the skills you develop will be used repeatedly, and you’ll find deep contentment as you come to use them. This is because there is a peacefulness in knowing where you’re going and being sure you can get there. The struggle fades, and life becomes indeed more exciting.
You Use the Skills You Were Born With
Everyone was born with certain gifts and abilities. Think of all the stories you’ve heard of frustrated artists or musicians whose parents didn’t understand their passion and forced them into a more ‘stable’ and ‘safe’ career path. When you’re exploring fulfilment, you strip away those ‘shoulds’ and instead embrace doing whatever it was you were born to do.
You Feel Calmer
The certainty of knowing where you’re having a solid plan to get there takes a lot of the worry out of the journey. You’re able to relax into the process and enjoy where you are.
Even when roadblocks arise (and they will), you have a plan in place to know what to do, making the stress of the situation that much less.
There’s a lot of peace in knowing you’ll soon be back on track and heading in the right direction again.
You’re Able to Embrace Happiness
Think of all the things a life of fulfilment means to you. You’re able to contribute to society. You’re creating goals and using your skills and talents to make those goals reality. You’re thinking about your dreams and are calm setting forth to realise them.
In short, you’re opening yourself up to a life that’s working for you. Talk about a recipe for happiness! What’s more, you’re opening the right doors toward this inner peace and contented life. You are giving yourself the tools to live in the moment and embrace them. Happiness becomes a way of life, and satisfaction is guaranteed.
Fulfilment isn't just a sweet dream; it's a necessity.
Without it, we lose our purpose and eventually our sanity. Humankind is not designed to toil endlessly with no purpose, driven only by the desperate need for a paycheck or acceptance. We are designed for fulfilment. Why else would we seek it so avidly?
When we are fulfilled, we find the best versions of ourselves. We live to our fullest potential, explore the things most important to us, and recognise the actions necessary to follow through to completion. Imagine a life without fulfilment, where emotions run unchecked, and stagnation takes hold. This is why seeking fulfilment is so necessary.
Journaling on Fulfilment – What Does Fulfilment Look Like to You?
Journaling is a powerful tool for self-reflection and personal growth. As you read this article on fulfilment, take a moment to pause and consider your own journey towards finding purpose and happiness. The following questions are designed to help you delve deeper into your thoughts and experiences, providing a space for you to explore what fulfilment means to you and how you can achieve it in your life. Grab a pen and paper, and let's begin this introspective journey together.
What does fulfilment mean to you personally, and how do you define it in your own life?
Reflect on a time when you felt truly fulfilled. What were the circumstances, and what actions did you take to achieve that feeling?
What compromises have you made in your life that may have led you away from fulfilment? How can you start to address and change these compromises?
How do you balance living in the moment with planning for the future? What steps can you take to ensure you are working towards your goals while enjoying the present?
What are the key areas of your life (e.g., career, relationships, personal growth) where you seek fulfilment? What specific actions can you take to move closer to achieving fulfilment in these areas?