The word ‘fulfillment’ is receiving a great deal of publicity these days in terms of creating a work-life balance that brings you happiness and satisfaction, as well as feeling fulfilled by completing something you love, perhaps a dream or a goal that inspires you.
The emotion of fulfillment comes from your heart, it is literally your heart’s brain overriding the brain in your head, which leads to that expansive, warm and excited feeling which drives and impassions us to do more, live more and seek more of a connected way of being and communicating with the world.
The brain in your head, on the other hand, has a much larger say in controlling what it feels we want rather than what we truly want. Our brain, has literally been programmed for thousands of years (over previous generations) to help us survive in the world and protect us from danger, any new experience or opportunities that come along, will generally be met by fear first before anything else. This fear is what holds us back, since the brain wants to hold us in a place of safety and not take risks. Hence it is more challenging for us to feel fulfilled as this is seen as an ‘unknown’ by the brain.
We all know when we are not feeling fulfilled. There is a feeling of depression, lack of interest and spontaneity, life seems very dull, we feel our light has diminished, a sense of ‘what is the point?’, and so much more. Quite often, we have reached these places in our life because we have given our power away, sacrificed parts of ourselves to make someone else feel better, doing too much so we have become scattered, unfocused and drained, making it very difficult to even connect to what fulfills us.
Well, it is time to override the brain and listen to your heart, it will always serve your best interest and you can more easily connect to your heart’s wisdom when you undertake meditation for a few minutes each day to hear that true voice within you.
Discovering what fulfills you comes in two parts:
- What drives you? Each of us has a unique set of skills and abilities that are part of our personality nurtured through our life experiences to help us define our purpose. What do you love doing? What drives you in your life, not just work, but your dreams and hopes so that you may use your work as stepping stones to reach your ultimate life goals.
- Making a difference. Fulfillment comes when we feel a deep satisfaction with life and also have made a difference in the world, impacted someone or a group with what we offer to the community.
Retraining your brain to step out of your comfort zone and into a greater sense of living requires a commitment and discipline to gently let your brain know that you are ok, safe and that it will be a good move to begin a new job, business, buying that house by the sea or lake, the new car, or starting a family. No matter how big or small, matching your hopes with the excitement of fulfillment is what counts.
Your life’s purpose that brings fulfillment is the blueprint of who you really are. Trust those ‘inspirations’ that flow to you, don’t discount them, truly listen with your heart and what it is telling you and then expand upon them. Develop these inspirations into your life’s goals, and your work will become the journey you enjoy to take you there.
–Nicola Salter
CEO/ Mentor
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