Fulfillment--Irina

Being fulfilled in life does not mean being successful because “success” is when one
fulfills society’s definition of how life is supposed to be. For instance, many people believe they are fulfilled with their lives when they can afford ten Ferraris, luxurious houses with indoor swimming pools, or closets full of designer clothes and shoes. However, what they fail to understand is that fulfillment does not necessarily involve success. Rather, fulfillment is the life defined by the heart; not by parents, teachers, friends, or even by the brain. It is from the heart and what makes us feel accomplished inside; it is what touches us and makes our lives worth living. Therefore, one must align with that idea and have the courage to take action. Only then will the feeling of fulfillment be exemplified. As stated by the American author, Tony Robbins, “Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure” (Grow and Give). It is true because people often spend their whole lives trying to meet the outward form of success, without realizing their lives are empty inside. This is a prime example of why many celebrities decide to end their lives shortly after gaining an immense amount of fame and money. They could have all the wealth and recognition out there, but if they do not find their inner purpose for life, none of that will ever make them feel fulfilled. 

One may think fulfillment is to have large amounts of money because money seems to be the solution to most problems. However, fulfillment does not always have to involve money because that is not wealth; rather, true wealth is having rich connections with the people that matter most. Having that intimate connection is so important, as it brings out our infinite source of love within and shares it among those who need it. Giving affection to those who matter in our lives, and perhaps even receiving some in return, is a feeling of fulfillment that one cannot get

elsewhere. For this reason, money alone can never make us feel satisfied inside, nor should it be our main focus in life, because as we ponder on the person that is most dear to us, there is no possible dollar amount that we would take in return of never seeing that person again. Us humans are all intuitive enough to realize the human-to-human connection is so much more priceless than money ever could be. Thus, we must all stay unequivocally true to ourselves, as it will change the trajectory of our lives. 

Although fulfillment is based upon what an individual wants their life to be about, it does not mean everything in life has to go as expected. There will be many challenges and hardships in life that would make us think life is unfair, but the issue is not that life is being unjust to us; instead, it is because we were too narrow-minded. Thus, when something does not turn out exactly how we wanted, we oftentimes get disappointed and give up. Therefore, we must have the humility within ourselves to reflect on any adversity that may be faced along the way and think about what it is teaching us about ourselves. By not being expectation-orientated, it keeps us in the powerful creator posture, not the victim posture thinking life is happening to us, instead, it is happening for us. If we are able to humble ourselves and leave behind any goals that were set by society, and truly focus on what we want our lives to be about, we will feel accomplished, satisfied, worthy, and most importantly, fulfilled.