Alright. Show of hands for how many of us are currently living a life we don’t love. What I mean by a life that we love, is a life where we are truly happy and fulfilled. So, if you are currently living a life that you don’t love, then you are not genuinely happy, satisfied, for have any true fulfillment with the life you currently have. Which isn’t a bad thing so please don’t take this the wrong way. It’s just something to be aware of, how fulfilled you feel about the live that you live.
If your hand just went up in the air, your heart just skipped a beat, you just took a deep breath in, or released a nervous breath that you were holding…you are not alone. I’d like to say that as I approach my mid 20s I’m living a happier and more fulfilled life, but the truth is I’m not. Chances are if you are reading this, sharing this (much appreciated!), or finding some common ground with this post, then you too may not be living your happiest and most fulfilled life.
Yes, I’m a lot happier in my life now than I was 10 years ago, and I’m sure a lot of people can say that as an adult. However, I’m not any more fulfilled now than I was 10 years ago. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been or felt fulfilled in my life before. Like ever.
Fulfillment is the idea of not searching for something, or having a strong desire for something that is not in your control. I am still searching for pure love and happiness. I still have a strong desire to achieve every goal I have ever made as a child (yes, I literally remember every goal I have ever made as a little child). So, I think it’s safe to say that my life isn’t fulfilled, and probably has never really been fulfilled.
One thing I can say about my current journey of living a life of fulfillment, is that the more I spend my days doing things that I find fulfillment in, the more fulfilled I feel throughout that whole day. So, like on days when I’m surrounded by a bunch of creative individuals, my life feels fulfilled not only in that moment but for the entire day. That’s because my energy is being put into something that motivates me, inspires me, and activates me in ways where I feel fulfilled.
But fulfillment is so much more than just dedicating a day to doing what you love. Fulfillment is all about being able to wake up every day knowing that you are doing what you love. Knowing that you have been blessed with the opportunity to be able to do whatever it is that you love so deeply. Fulfillment is about feeling and being whole, not only with yourself but with the universe. Sadly, most of us can’t say that about the life that we currently live. But what if I told you that you could?
What if I told you that living a happier and more fulfilled life is easier then we might think it is? Would you believe me or challenge my thinking? If you would challenge my thinking then let me just tell you that I’m glad you would. It’s a powerful thing to not be so easily influenced by the words of others. I by no means claim to be, or am claiming to be an expert on achieving fulfilment, but I am an expert on how being honest with myself has guided me to many opportunities of being fulfilled.
For years I have been struggling to get to a point in my life where I feel complete. A point in my life where I’m happy with the people that make up my social circle, where I love what career I have chosen for myself, and where I don’t stress about the little things in life. A life of fulfillment.
However, despite my struggles (we all have struggles and they will forever be a part of the journey of life) I can honestly say that with each passing day I am getting closer and closer to living a more fulfilled life. I’m getting there by being honest with myself. My ability to be honest with myself has opened my eyes to the kind of life I have allowed myself to exist in. Not necessarily a life of disappointment or complete sadness, but a life where I don’t feel fulfilled. A life where I am lacking fulfillment emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.
So today I thought I’d share with you how being honest with yourself can help you achieve fulfillment in your life.
How to Achieve Fulfillment by Being Honest with Yourself
1) Prioritize your life
I know it can be hard to place value over a lot of things in your life but we honestly have to. We have to be able to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The bigger tells us the things in life that really matter and will help us get to whatever it is we want to be in our life. The only way we are able to do this is by prioritizing our life. We have to allow the things that we value be the motivation and inspiration that guides us in life. It’s not only an effective way to be aware of how much positivity and negativity we are allowing in our lives, but it’s also a great way to be aware of how much positivity and negativity we may be pushing away.
2) Choose harmony over balance
Yes, you read that right. I said harmony over balance. Balance allows us to be able to take on multiple tasks in our life and still somehow keep a clear mind, in a calm head, supported by stable feet. Harmony allows for peace to exist in every crevice of our life. In the end, it’s really harmony that creates fulfillment, not balance. We learn to care less about the things in life that drain us, and more about the things in life that give us energy. Allowing peace to be at the center of our universe helps put us and keep us in a positive frame of mind. Our mindset is the guiding force for how we greet and depart from each passing day.
3) Choose happiness over stress
Nobody can avoid stress for the course of their lifetime. This is a very unfortunate thing because the less we stress the happier and healthier we are. I for one know that I stress a lot more than I would like to, and I’m sure a lot of you will agree with this. However, this past year I have come to learn that when I choose to stress less, I’m happier. This is something that I’m also sure a lot of you will agree with. Like most people I stress about money, my family’s wellbeing, my health, the safety of myself and others, and so much more. But the more I let go of the things in my life that are causing me stress, the happier I am every day of my life. This too can be you if you are willing to choose happiness over stress.
4) Stick to a daily routine
Routines are key to knowing yourself so well. Having a daily routine, may that be a morning or evening routine, helps us stay in a right frame of mind. When we are in a right frame of mind, we are more aware of our surroundings, our thoughts and emotions, as well as irregular changes for patterns within ourselves. When we practice a regular routine and we are consistent with it, we are more likely to let any negativity roll off of us. And not holding onto any negativity is such a beautiful thing. This happens as a result of training our minds to react to things that make us feel alive and are positive. It’s a very simple form of honesty, but a very effective one.
5) Stay focus on your personal goals
You guys know that I love having goals and setting goals. And that nothing makes me feel more alive than achieving a goal. Goals help us stay focus on the bigger picture we have for our life. By putting all of your time and energy into the personal goals that you have for yourself, will help you get to that life of fulfillment. Our personal goals are the motivation and inspiration that we need in order to continually move forward, even in moment when we want to give up. When we do this, we feel so complete with ourselves, even if it’s just for a moment. The more complete we feel, the happier we are likely to be. The happier we are, the more fulfilled our lives will be.
6) Be honest
It’s the moral of this blog post. Be honest with yourself. The only way we are ever able to know that something does not fit in our life, is if we are brave enough to acknowledge our gut feelings. We have to be able to tell ourselves when things don’t feel right, because in doing so we are giving ourselves permission to make a change where it is needed. Sometimes those changes are needed in order for us to move forward with our lives. And when we do this, a lot of the time heavy burdens we may have been carrying, long lost regrets we didn’t know we were still holding onto, or any traces of unhappiness that we may have thought we put in the past, will slowly begin to fade.
These six simple and effective ways for how you can achieve fulfilment, are areas in life where you have ability to be honest with yourself. Placing the things in life that matter most to you as your main priorities in life can result in being more aware of potential roadblocks or setbacks. Choosing harmony and happiness for your life can help you avoid a lot of negativity and stress that may try to come your way (not today!), which can make you feel more motivated to fill that empty space with positivity. Sticking to a daily routine can help you create a pattern of feeling more confident and rejuvenated throughout the day, and every day you practice this routine.
Being honest with myself about these areas in my life has allowed me to pursue a happier and more fulfilled life. Though this is just the beginning I know there’s so much more to come. And I can promise you that if allow yourself to be honest with yourself about every little detail in your life, starting with these six areas, you too will be well on your way to a happier and more fulfilled life.
Live the life you love, not the life you’re comfortable with.
-Xo
Kimora