The Impact That Feeling Fulfilled Has On Your Life

Many people confuse fulfillment with happiness. While the two share many common traits, they’re quite different.

 

The biggest difference is that you can be happy because of something that happened at the moment. But, overall, you still feel like you’re leading a life without meaning or purpose, and, hence, no fulfillment.

 

Today, we’re exploring the impact that feeling fulfilled has on your life. Yet, before we can do that, we have to understand what it is and where it comes from.

 

So, let’s dive in.

 

What Is Fulfillment?

 

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, fulfillment is when you feel like you’re ‘getting everything you want from life.’

 

It’s also sometimes described as having a purpose and a sense of satisfaction with how your life is turning out.

 

This means that fulfillment comes from within. It’s not proportional to how much money you have in the bank or how big your house is.

 

In other words, you can still lead a fulfilling life even though you’re living paycheck to paycheck. How? By doing things that give your life purpose and a sense of achievement.

 

On the flip side, you can be one of the richest people in the country, but still not be content with your life. You may not even feel happy with everything you’ve amassed.

 

Here’s an example that will clarify fulfillment more. Think of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Do you think he had an easy life? No.

 

But do you think his life was fulfilling? Definitely!

 

Despite all of his struggles, Dr. King found ways to fill his life with a sense of purpose and accomplishment, which made him feel satisfied with all the efforts he’d put in.

 

Where Does Fulfillment Come From?

 

At the basic level of human needs comes health and being provided with the chance to work and pursue your goals. You don’t have to be happy and giddy with laughter all the time. You just need to work toward a certain purpose and get a sense of satisfaction in the meantime.

 

So, because fulfillment is an internal process, you have to be willing to do the heavy lifting to achieve that sense of contentment.

 

In order to do that, you have to do certain things that get you closer each day to having more and more fulfillment in your life.

 

Here are just a few formulas that can help bring more fulfillment to your life:

 

• Count your blessings instead of your problems

• Do more of the things you’re fond of

• Establish healthy habits that bring you joy

• Give back to society by volunteering

• Surround yourself with family and friends

• Embrace a more positive mindset

• Be always ready to learn

 

How Does Fulfillment Impact Our Lives?

 

Now that you know how to find fulfillment, let’s talk about the impact it can have on your life.

 

Give Your Life Greater Meaning

 

Our most difficult moments are when we feel like we don’t matter.

 

When you find fulfillment, all that fades away. You understand the value and meaning of your life and that what you’re doing makes a big difference in other people’s lives, even on a small scale.

 

Remember, fulfillment doesn’t come from what you own or get, it comes from what you give.

 

Focus on What’s Truly Important

 

When you have a sense of purpose, you gain a higher level of clarity. You know what you want, and you have a plan for how you’re going to get there.

 

Focusing on what’s important to you will also help you make better decisions. Thus, you’re able to move towards what you want with more deliberation and persistence.

 

Boost Your Self-Confidence

 

We often let society dictate how we should look, talk, and feel. Yet, when you let other people’s opinions dominate your life, this causes a major dive in confidence and self-esteem.

 

Luckily, once you begin feeling fulfilled, you’ll come to love and accept yourself. You’ll also begin to be more confident, which will help you stay resolute and determined when working to achieve your ambitions.

 

Experience More Joy

 

More fulfillment brings more joy and overall satisfaction. And when you’re contented, you send out positive energy into the universe, which comes back to you tenfold.

 

This allows you to focus on doing more of the things that bring you joy. Plus, somewhere along the line, you stop worrying about what other people think or comparing yourself to others, which is one of the most effective ways to reach fulfillment.

 

Challenge Yourself

 

Because life is about growth and progress, it pays to challenge yourself. Then, you can improve and develop your skill set, expand your wealth of knowledge, and reach new goals.

 

It’s important to keep in mind that fulfillment is independent of external circumstances. It’s a simple balance in everything you do to eliminate disorder from your life and forge a path of gratitude and harmony.

Mental Toughness - The Ability to Self-Monitor

Self-monitoring is a valuable personality trait that helps people inform their behaviors and actions appropriately in any given environment. While this trait can help people “fit in” to the current surroundings more naturally, it can also be an excellent way to fortify your mental toughness. 

 

What Is Mental Toughness?

 

According to Mental Toughness Inc., “Mental toughness is the ability to resist, manage and overcome doubts, worries, concerns and circumstances that prevent you from succeeding, or excelling at a task or towards an objective or a performance outcome that you set out to achieve."

 

Self-monitoring and then acting in a way that may go against your natural instincts is challenging and requires notable mental toughness to achieve.

 

What is self-monitoring?

 

According to the psychology experts at VeryWellMind, “self-monitoring is a personality trait that involves the ability to monitor and regulate self-presentations, emotions, and behaviors in response to social environments and situations.” 

 

When you are self-monitoring, you are paying close attention to how you are behaving and responding to what is happening around you in a socially appropriate way.

 

Sometimes, self-monitoring can feel easy and natural. For example, when you are in a quiet, fine dining restaurant, you likely feel the urge to keep your voice calm and low. On the contrary, if you’re in an amusement park with friends, you probably feel the urge to laugh and talk loudly. In each of these very different scenarios, you are gathering environmental information to inform your actions – and then using that information to make personal decisions about how you’re going to speak, act, and behave.

 

In other situations, self-monitoring can be difficult. If you are having an argument with a friend, you may feel tempted to immediately release your frustrations by yelling at them. However, your self-monitoring skills may remind you that yelling isn’t going to solve the problem – in this case, it is better to take some deep breaths, remain calm, and keep your voice steady.

 

When you exercise self-monitoring in this way, it is a true sign of mental toughness. Going against your natural instincts can be challenging! 

 

If you struggle with self-monitoring, what are some strategies you can use to get better at using it?

 

If self-monitoring doesn’t come easy for you, it is possible to improve these skills. Consider employing the following strategies to get started:

 

1. Practice using your observational skills. 

 

Spend more time listening and observing during interactions and conversations with others rather than trying to respond. You can learn a lot about your surroundings and the people around you this way. With this valuable information, you can begin self-monitoring your own behaviors and choices to match what is happening around you more closely.

 

2. Engage in stepping away from situations so you can process what is happening before reacting.

 

In many situations, particularly shocking or surprising ones, you may feel an immediate urge to react in a certain way. However, you can engage in some self-monitoring practice by choosing to step away from the situation momentarily. This gives you a few private moments to calm down, assess the situation, and then decide a plan of action.

 

3. Pay close attention to yourself, especially in different social situations. 

 

Whenever you find yourself in varying social situations, such as out with friends, in a meeting at work, hanging out at the community park, and anywhere else you find yourself on a regular basis, pay close attention to how you act when you’re there.

 

Taking note of specific patterns in your own behavior can help you improve your own self-monitoring. For example, you may notice that people seem surprised by the volume of your voice when you actually pay close attention – this can help you determine a course of action to modify this behavior in future situations.

Friendly Persuasion: How To Get The Things You Want And Need

Life is made up of wants and needs. Whether we get our hands on those wants and needs depends on how good we are at convincing others to give them to us. But no one gives out anything without a convincing reason. That’s where your powers of friendly persuasion come in.

 

People generally gravitate towards friendly people. So, if you learn how to come across as nice and trustworthy, then you’ll be able to win over even the most difficult of people.

 

Yet, remember that persuasion is a skill that needs to be honed and perfected. To help you get started, we rounded up five persuasive strategies you can use to get the things you want and need.

 

Be Confident

 

When you talk with poise, you give off the message that you’re convinced of your idea and know that you’re going to get your way. This subconsciously influences the other party to just give you what you want.

 

According to a study done by the University of Leicester, ‘the single significant behavioral difference between persuaders and persuadees was in the expression of confidence.’

In other words, your ability to persuade people starts with your level of assertiveness. In other words, the more confidence you exude, the more powerful your appeal will be.

 

The great thing about confidence is that it’s easy to fake. If you just act confident, the person in front of you won’t be able to tell whether it’s real or made up. So, take a deep breath, stick out your chin, and show them what you’ve got!

 

Just make sure you don’t oversell it. You might come across as arrogant and cocky, which is a big turnoff for most people.

 

Start with a Logical Argument

 

Generally, people are persuaded by logic. Once they’re convinced that something is the right thing for them to do, then they’ll do it without question.

 

Say you’re trying to convince a co-worker to help you out with a pile of work. Their first reaction will be to resist and probably claim they have their own pile of endless files to deal with.

 

Nevertheless, if you use logical reasoning, you may be able to convince them that they’re the best person to help you.

 

You can also tell them that by working together, both of you will finish faster, which will make both of you earn points with the boss and help the company get projects done at a quicker rate.

 

Choose Your Words

 

It’s no secret that some words have more positive connotations than others. Those are the ones you want to use to win over your argument because they have a higher value than others.

 

They can go a long way in helping you persuade people to see your point of view and help you get what you want.

 

For example, ‘reasonable’ sounds much better than ‘okay,’ and a ‘lucrative’ deal makes it sound so much more exciting than simply a ‘good’ deal.

 

Now, we’re not suggesting you memorize a bunch of bulky words and stuff them in your conversation. All we’re merely saying is that you should put in a bit of effort to arrange your sentences for the best possible outcome.

 

For starters, you’ll come across as a skilled communicator. Not only that, but you’ll also sound more intelligent, coherent, and attentive—all of which make you more trustworthy and, ultimately, more persuasive.

 

That’s the power of rhetoric.

 

Highlight How the Other Person Can Benefit

 

Not only do people gravitate towards friendly people who make logical arguments, but they also need to benefit from whatever it is they’re doing.

 

Here’s another example:

 

Imagine that you’re trying to convince your friends to help you move. Of course, their first reaction would be to run for the hills. No one likes all the hassle and headache of moving.

 

But, if you tell them that you’ll have fun sorting through all your old stuff and that you’ll probably give some of your old things away, they may reconsider. You can also tell them that you’re getting pizza and drinks afterward, and they’ll be all in!

 

Use Subtle Flattery

 

You need to be savvy when using this tactic because it can be a bit tricky to master. Not enough flattery and the other party won’t have time to take it in.

 

On the other hand, too much flattery will come across as too blunt or pushy. Then, the other person will quickly catch on and they’ll feel like you’re bribing them with ill-appropriate remarks. Of course, this means you won’t get what you want.

 

Instead, give them sincere, well-thought-out compliments that boost their self-confidence and make them feel good about themselves. As a result, they’ll be more willing to listen to you and give you what you want.