Personal Fulfilment

Personal Fulfilment is the satisfaction or the emotion of happiness that results from the achievement of something desired, promised, or predicted. Happiness is dependent upon this sense of personal fulfilment, a pursuit of what matters most. What matters most differs from one individual to another, so it is important to look deep inside and discover what that desire is’ ― C. Neil Linton

Personal Fulfilment – A 7-step Pathway

Step 1: Shift of Paradigm ( Way of Thinking )

What is a Paradigm Shift? A paradigm shift is a fundamental change in an individual or society’s view of how things work in the world, a change from one way of thinking to another, an internal revolution, or a mindset transformation.

When one transitions toward self-discovery and has an open mind toward positive change, one will experience subtle changes in the way one perceives the world. When one can reflect on all aspects of his or her past and current life, while simultaneously being honest with what one discovers, one will start to uncover what seems to be obvious. Be prepared to experience an evolutionary mind-shift, gain more clarity, and see your priorities change.

Step 2: Where to Start

The first step to identifying the underpinning characteristics that can reveal one’s passion/s, what matters most to an individual, is self-discovery. One will need to methodically examine, through reflection, analyse, and interpret one’s key core strengths that lie deep within, beyond one’s superficial qualities. Each one of us is unique, gifted with natural talents, abilities, and qualities.

It is relatively easy for one to reel off obvious roles in his or her life; the perception one has of themselves, or belief of how one may appear to others. However, these factors may only include fragments of what one has been capable of, or can potentially become.

It is important to discern why one behaves as he or she does. Why one interacts as he or she does, and to recognise the types of intelligence within that drives one toward happiness and joy. The self-discovery of one’s talents, abilities and qualities can provide rediscover and a new-found passion, toward a more purpose-driven life.

In the book Discover Your Strengths ( 2001 ), Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton state, “The real tragedy of life is not that each of us does not have enough strengths, it’s that we fail to use the ones we have. Benjamin Franklin called wasted strengths ‘sundials in the shade.’

If one is serious beyond thought about self-fulfilment, then it is time to acquire some insight into one’s character, to shine a little light on one’s sundial and discover or rediscover one’s talents, abilities and qualities that can potentially drive one toward happiness and fulfilment.

Step 3: Defining One’s Talents, Abilities, and Qualities

Over one’s lifetime, one develops his or her unique talents, abilities, and qualities. Many of these attributes are uniquely innate, and others have been accumulated and developed through experience, influence, and change. Some of one’s attributes may have been developed in years gone by, and are suppressed, lay dormant, unused and most likely forgotten. Self-discovery may bring a more heightened awareness of current attributes while self-discovery may assist one to rediscover some of his or her hidden attributes.

Reflection and self-awareness is an essential component to self-discovery. Defining your most important and life-affirming personal qualities is key to uncovering your life passion toward personal fulfilment. This process will identify who you are and who you would like to become within the context of all of your qualities.

As you reflect, ask this very simple question: What is important that is the foundation of who I am and what makes me happy?

Task 1

Take a moment to brainstorm a list of 20 values that you think reflects who you are at this moment in time, not what you want to become. Being honest with yourself will result in a more accurate task. There are 250 positive personality traits. These traits can be found on the internet most likely taken from Journal of Social Psychology, 9, 272-279, Anderson, N. H. ( 1968 ).

Here are 20 values as an example: Ambitious, dependable, earnest, enthusiastic, Honest, honourable, intelligent, kind, loving, open-minded, peace seeking, polite, reliable, responsible, sincere, trustful, truthful, unselfish, wise, etc.

Once you have listed the traits, rate the items in your list with your strongest at the top of the list. You can use these values to assist you in identifying and defining the underpinning characteristics that can reveal one’s passion/s, what matters most to an individual.

Task 2

Take a moment to list ten ( 10 ) events that occurred in your life that gave you the highest level of personal satisfaction and joy. These events could have occurred during childhood, your teenage years, or adulthood.

Find common connections within each example, such as service to others, physical endurance, completing a monumental task to schedule and on budget, building something, fixing things, being in nature, publishing a book, being around and helping animals, or providing elderly care.

After you’ve learned more about yourself, it’s important to step back from the details to see the bigger picture—the theme that pulls it all together and provides direction for your actions and decisions. See if the connections reflect the value traits you expressed above. If they do, you are on your way to discovering what your passion/s are and why the things that have given and are likely to give increased happiness and joy to your life. If it worked in the past, duplicate similar activities to create the same outcomes of happiness and joy.

Find projects, activities, and change employment that reflects the values and experiences that have in the past, given you the greatest amount of happiness and joy. This duplication of previous events that occurred in your life that gave you the highest level of personal satisfaction, happiness and joy will result in personal fulfilment.

Step 4: One’s Life Purpose and Vision

Having a future passion for things is so much more than self-discovery, what it is you love to do, and how it makes you feel. A life full of passion required some planning, direction, purpose, and vision to create a life that is rewarding and fulfilled. A passion accompanied by a sustained life of purpose, propelled by a positive and inspiring vision is what will drive one toward success. A life of purpose allows one to move from a life of living to a life of thriving, giving an individual a life of meaning.

How does one become aware of or create his or her life purpose?

“Decide upon a major purpose for your life and then organise all your activities around it.”

Brain Tracy

Step One: List two or more of your unique characteristics or qualities ( Example: Love, Compassion, Open-mindedness, Respect ):

Step Two: List two ways you enjoy interacting and utilising these qualities ( Example: to inspire others, to empower people ):

Step Three – Write down your answers to these situations and questions:

1. Imagine a heavenly place, a perfect world. Express in words how this world looks and feels:
2. If you could choose the perfect world, what does this world look like to you?
3. In this perfect world, how are people interacting with each other and their environment?
4. As you reflect, what emotions run through you as you experienced this bliss?
5. Write a statement using the present tense describing this vision of heaven; how you see it and how you feel it. Use statements such as – I see… –  I feel… (Examples only: I see cooperation, happiness, joy, great health, harmony, and respect for others and the Environment, success):

This is an example of a life’s purpose, formulated from the above tasks and steps:

My life’s purpose is to serve, inspire and empower people to live in a world filled with kindness, compassion, and tolerance with respect for all living things in the context of love, empathetic joy, and happiness, in harmony with the greater good of all concerned.

It is important to review one’s “Life Purpose” often. Print it out and pin it on the fridge, or on a business card for easy and regular retrieval.

one’s Life Purpose Statement should accompany everything you think about, plan and action from this point forward.