Feeling fulfilled is one of the keys to being happy in our lives. Therefore, focusing on having a more meaningful life will mean being happier. But how can we do it?
As the years go by, people often want to focus more and more on their purpose and meaning. In fact, There is a clear relationship between feeling fulfilled and feelings of happiness. But what elements are key to finding meaning in our lives? What are the best ways to focus on achieving a fuller life?
What does it mean to feel fulfilled?
A new study carried out by psychologists from the University of Zurich affirms that to feel fulfilled in our lives it is important to keep this in mind: “It is not seeking achievement for its own sake, but rather that which makes us feel more worthy and that remains present in our lives, which makes people feel fulfilled in life.”. In fact, this research also points out some factors that help most people have a fuller life. Among all the factors analyzed, there are three aspects that stand out among all the others. Researchers have called these factors:
- Development of the ‘I’ and life: It refers to the investment that a person has in pursuing their personal projects, achieving an authentic life, as well as focusing on being a unique person.
- Live a life worth living: It involves the perception that people have about their own capabilities, as well as having a life that is meaningful and valuable for the same person.
- Have a positive impact and legacy: It means being able to make a positive difference, leaving value to society and being able to do something with life that is important to others.
In fact, in these studies, the researchers also asked about what made a difference in achieving this feeling of personal satisfaction. The majority of people surveyed pointed to concepts such as making a positive difference, pursuing authentic goals, being true to oneself, making a contribution, being honest and having a calling. On the other hand, they also discovered that people who considered the issue of a full life to be important and who spent more time thinking about it ended up evaluating their lives as more full and meaningful.
How to feel fulfilled?
Focusing on purpose can be difficult in a society where work remains on autopilot and where money is the currency. But actually you can work on feeling more fulfilled oy focus your life on it:
- Focus on your self-knowledge: To feel more fulfilled, the first step is to understand yourself and what it means to be yourself. In fact, starting to focus on your self-knowledge will make your outer life improve. By knowing what you want to do in your life, this will allow you to feel more alive, making better decisions and making better changes.
- Let go of the negative from your past: Very often, people end up thinking about their past, especially about the negative things that marked their lives. Although it is good to reflect on mistakes or try to ‘heal’ what left us wounded, the reality is that focusing or focusing on it only makes us feel stuck in these events.
- Take care of yourself: It is difficult to feel fulfilled if we do not take care of our physical and mental health. Self-care is a determining factor if we want to feel comfortable with ourselves and our lives.
- Find meaning at work: We spend a large part of our time at work, so giving meaning to what we do during our profession will allow us to feel more connected to our lives. In fact, if you feel bored or dissatisfied in your professional position, this is a sign that you need a change.
- Find meaningful relationships: We humans need to feel connected to others. In fact, connections with others are very important to feel fulfilled. That is, we must find those people who contribute to us and make us feel better going towards the path we really want in our lives.
- Never stop learning: Life is a continuous learning process. There is always something new to discover and focusing on what makes us grow can help us feel much more fulfilled.
- Practice gratitude: Instead of focusing on the negative of a situation, try to focus on what it really brings to you. This will help you feel more energy to work on what makes your life feel more meaningful.
- Seek professional help : Psychologists can help guide you to feel more fulfilled in your life. In fact, it will allow you to know yourself better as well as investigate what makes you feel more fulfilled and satisfied.
In short, the most effective way to start feeling more fulfilled is to try to imagine the life you want, as well as identify all the elements that give you energy and bring you happiness. Once you have this image formed, focus on starting to build the path that takes you to this life. Over time, you will see how this image becomes your reality and you will feel more fulfilled. A life with more meaning is the perfect secret to getting closer to happiness.