Living life as an adult can be extremely distracting. As a forty six year old it has taken me nearly a decade to take a step of faith and begin working at things I truly love – not that what I was doing for those ten years I hated (not at all). But there was more; I could do more, I could become more – but I had to take a step of faith. What about you? Do you find fulfillment in what we are currently doing? Do you have clarity in what you could do – in reaching your dreams? Let’s look at a few fundamentals to living a fulfilling life.
Six Fundamentals to Fulfillment
Fundamental Number 1 – Self-Acceptance
To be able to live a life of fulfillment you have to be able to accept all of you (the good and the bad). A big problem for many people is that they cannot give themselves a healthy assessment of who they are. When they fail at something there is a little voice in their head that says; “You failed, you suck, you cannot do anything right!” However, a healthy person can look at the good and bad in their life and realize it doesn’t define them or their future. Daniel Goleman says; “One sign of self-acceptance: you feel good about your past while being frank with yourself about ways you might improve and grow. In short, you accept yourself as you are, without misgivings.”
Fundamental Number 2 – Healthy Relationships
The next fundamental we need to master is the ability to have healthy people in our lives regularly. Again, adults get themselves into trouble when they are isolated from healthy relationships. Instead of going to a counselor when we are “at the end of our rope” why not surround ourselves with healthy people weekly to gain feedback and advice on our daily life. In fact, just a few minutes before writing this post a friend of mine stopped by to chat; so to model this principle I openly shared with him what is going on in my life (my ups and downs). Immediately (without preaching) he helped me to think clearly about my problems and redirected me to better results. Safe, healthy people are those who are for you and your growth, and will you submit to their instruction and advice.
Fundamental Number 3 – Integrity
There are several ways to explain the word integrity; “I’m not dishonest”, “I’m not a cheat”, “I don’t steal”. And those are all part of personal integrity. But to find fulfillment in life you need to be able to take integrity to the next level. To be able to develop a deep adult character. To be able to connect well with others. To be able to be disciplined in learning who you are (and who you are not) and then Integrity will allow you to bring it all together and not screw things up. There are too many employers who have talented and good people working for them; yet their integrity continues to get in the way of being truly fulfilled in life – they come up short.
Fundamental Number 4 – Daily Discipline
There is an aspect of life that you just have to SHOW UP for. I remember at one job I had, there was a big issue with another employee; the guy just couldn’t show up and be there consistently. This is an adult. It was really hard to explain, but this individual couldn’t be on time for meetings, conferences, weekly responsibilities. A big part of life is having the discipline to show up and be engaged with your environment.
Fundamental Number 5 – Purpose
The biblical book of Ephesians says that we were created in Christ Jesus to do Good Works that he created for us. God has a purpose that is specific to who He created you to be. It really irritates me to hear people say; “They are the next ___!” and fill in the blank with whoever famous you want. NO, don’t be the next ____; be YOU and discover who YOU are. There are several tests available today that you can use to learn who YOU are and what YOU are gifted at. Learning what your life purpose IS will bring incredible clarity and focus to your life.
Fundamental Number 6 – Growth Plan
An old proverb from Alcoholics Anonymous says; “A failure to plan is a plan to fail.” What is your growth plan? Do you have one? Without a good growth plan, you will wonder around ineffective in your life. Take the time to develop a growth plan. Need help? I love helping people learn how to find fulfillment and purpose. Please call or email and I will help you with your growth plan.
Want more insight?
Consider a few consulting visits with me (in the office, over the phone or in a Zoom Conference Room). I can help you cut through the clutter of life to get un-stuck and gain success.
Email: [email protected]
Call: 231-499-9069
What are you doing to find fulfillment in your life? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear what is working for you.
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