Living a more fulfilling life
This weekend, as my wife and I picked the kids up from the church retreat, I felt a sense of inner joy. I watched them get off of the buses along with dozens of other kids. They smiled as they joked with friends and hugged goodbyes. In this moment, I experienced fulfillment. If someone happened to ask me what my purpose in life was, I probably would have pointed at the scene that played out in front of me.
What does it mean to live a more fulfilling life? Fulfillment is very personal because we shape it through our own belief systems, our cultures, and our values. That said, it is one of the basic needs that we all have as human beings. In the book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl quotes the words of Nietzsche: “He who has a Why to live for can bear almost any How.”
What keeps us from living a fulfilled life? Well, that sounds like a great question to ponder in a series of blogs. Over the coming weeks, I’ll write about books and articles on the subject, with the intention of exploring the topic through reflections, stories, and examples. Why reflections and stories you ask? Well, it’s a great way to share ideas and it’s also how we learn. Think back to your favorite teachers in school. The best teachers can take any subject and bring it to life through stories and examples to which students can relate. Having a topic explained in a meaningful context for the individual students helps them understand concepts and remember the content. We all wear lenses from our own life experiences which creates our own personal context. Therefore, as we ingest new information, we try to fit the new information into our personal context (lenses). If successful, the chances of remembering increase exponentially.
So, back to writing a blog about living a more fulfilling life. Things that keep us from happiness are many; including stress, anxiety, depression, toxic relationships, and lacking the time to understand what matters. Of course, this is a short list, but you get the point. We live in this crazy world for a short time together, and I just want to do my part to help where I can. This is another way that I find fulfillment, I suppose. In Man’s Search for Meaning, when asked about the meaning of life for himself, Viktor E. Frankl replied, “The meaning of your life is to help others find meaning in theirs.”
We’ll discuss important topics with you (the reader) in mind, and hopefully, bring you along towards a life that brings you more joy and meaning. Welcome to the journey!!
Chris Guzniczak
Licensed Professional Counselor Intern
Under Supervision of Tiffany Smith LPC-S, LMFT-S, NCC
