What is a fulfilling life suppose to really be like?

All of those things and more.

For me from and individual and a family perspective, I am fulfilled when my family are all well, healthy, happy and enjoying or at least managing their lives. When they are happy, I am happy and I can then do my own thing too.
At work, I feel fulfilled when I am not micromanaged. When I treated with respect and my abilities are at least recognised. I like to manage and direct my own work and problem solve and have and work through challenges.
I also find I feel happiest when I also have creative pursuits in my life, whether that be drawing, writing, painting… something that requires me to use the other side of my brain.

However, there is also a bigger picture to this question. Look at the people in Libya, I doubt I would feel very fulfilled living in such a place. So I also think the environment you exist in makes a big difference to your level of fulfillment. That doesn’t mean only people living in wealthy, western nations can be happy and fulfilled. I know Indigenous people who live much simpler lives and who feel fulfilled by being a productive part of their own community.

Depends on the individual and their own circumstances but is influenced by the bigger situation they exist in.

@Mz_Lizzy ..Its true. I guess, I didn’t even think about the enviroment. Thanks for your response.

There’s no simple, one-for-everyone answer. “Fulfilling” is going to be different to each individual.

Personally, I don’t want to be married or have kids, it wouldn’t do much for me. I’d actually be more fulfilled not having those things, and way too stressed out with them.

Even though we’re bombarded with all these ideals our society wants us to follow (regardless of what society you’re in, it has some) it doesn’t mean you have to, want to, need to do them. If you do want, that’s great. If you don’t, don’t; that’s great too.

A fulfilling life is supposed to fill you, complete you, somehow. It’s something you feel you were meant to, not told to, do. Where you can look at it and think, ‘wow, I wouldn’t have it any other way.’ Not that it’s perfect, (because nothing is, and who’s to say, anyway,) just that you think it’s pretty darn good.

A pretty good book about this is (Sir) Ken Robinson’s The Element. I’m sure there are others out there, too, this is just one I’ve read. In it he argues that everyone has their own Element, a meeting point of their passion and ability, where they excell at and love what they do. He goes through talking about various success stories, and various methods of incorporating your “element” into your life.

Nothing’s saying a fulfilling life is easy to get to. Especially when what you want and what society expects are at odds. But it’s probably worth the fight for it.

Make loads of money and have political power.
Or live in a hut in the forest growing your own food.
No one else can tell you the answer to YOUR question.

Fulfillment, like happiness is in the eye of the beholder. You can be perfectly happy having an enjoyable career and not being married or having kids. Or you could be perfectly happy being a housewife with a whole houseful of kids. Or anything in between. What matters is that you are a good person, compassionate, unselfish and hardworking. Then beyond that, that you are doing what you are good at and what gives you peace and inner satisfaction. Some people need big things (like being onstage or making lots of money, or changing the world). Some people (like me) are content with much smaller things like being healthy, having nice friends and a supportive family and having the time (and enough money) to do things that are meaningful (like supporting charities that are important to you, and spending plenty of time on creative pursuits like photography and painting and cooking and writing, and being able to have and take care of animals and have a little garden).

I’ve always considered myself to be easily amused, so I don’t need the bigger, grander things (although having enough money to simply support yourself and not be poverty stricken is very important) so I can enjoy my child-free life and not feel (even for a second) like I should have had children and I can experience profound joy by looking at a lake or snow on the mountains or listening to the sound of my cat sighing and snoring in his sleep.

You just need to figure out what is important to you and what you need rather than thinking about all the goodies that you might want. The goodies that will come to you are limited by your innate talent, your financial situation and your physical and mental strength to get up and go. Your fulfillment is only limited by your own narrow vision, in other words, if you can’t see happiness and contentment in simple, everyday things, then you are doomed. Everything else that you might get, beyond your own means (whether by luck or by being in the right place at the right time, or by having an unknown rich uncle cack over dead) is all frosting on the cake of life.

@ruk_d perhaps you can expand on why you are asking the question?

No matter what you do, or what you want in your life, you will not feel fulfilled unless you are comfortable with yourself first. Questions to ask yourself, would be, “Are you friends with yourself, do you like you, if you had to work at a job with yourself would you get along, and a part of me wants to ask you, if you are not fulfilled now, then ask yourself honestly what you yourself desire in your life for your own personal fulfillment.”

A question like that may be a strong indicator that you are realizing how big the world is out there, that there are so many possibilities to do with your life, and you are on the teeter totter not knowing which choice might be better in the long run.

A job you enjoy would be a strong plus for life fulfillment. A partner or no partner that matches you well(good luck with that). Is it all a crap shoot?
At 20 years old I would have told you that I would be miserable in the army, and here I am 13 years later, 10 of which I spent in the military, generally, personally, content, if not actually, honestly happy. My ex left during my first deployment, I think my life is better for it. I have two great kids that I really wish I could see more, but it is okay when I think about it, I love them and that is what matters to me and to them. I have not found a new partner and am not displeased by that, I think having a girl around to make me feel bad for staying up late playing halo online might dampen my current style a little much.

Ultimately, it is what you make of it. The point about having enough money to not have to worry about putting heat in your home or food on your table is wise, but after that I believe that at any point in your life, when your essentials are met, you can look at yourself today and say, “You know what? I am really okay. I don’t need anything more than what I already have.”

Also something to consider, how you interact with others, day by day, IS what you will have to look back on, when you are old and gray. Give money away, and you have less, give others good feelings and laughter, and you yourself will actually have more of that in your life too.

One more point, if you believe in the importance of self-sacrifice, consider that you must be taken care of first, before you will have anything of value to offer someone else. Depleting yourself in another person’s interest may not have the intended effect. Loved ones wish to see the ones they love live happily, so sometimes taking care of yourself is the best gift you can give to those who care about you.

The Purpose of this Life is to find Life itself…

Life is found when one comes to the realization of Himself.
When this realization comes he also understand this,,,
...though he dies yet he shall Live..
...and If He is alive,that He may not Die.

Realization of self comes by knowledge of Truth,,,
Truth is One yet unique to yourself.

So therefore seek after Truth in the thing which You allow…

And you will find that this to be true…

Truth is Life and Life is You.

We can’t tell you what will fulfill your life. People need and want different things. Generally, fulfillment comes when you have cared for others, been educated to the appropriate level for your intelligence, developed and lived your own moral code and life philosophy, have been productive, have made a contribution to society in some way, and for most people, have a stable and secure marriage and home life.

It depends on what is fulfilling for you. Some people are enriched by a life of service.

Some people are enriched by a life of travel.

Some people are enriched by having a family.

For me, my fulfillment comes from my relationship with my husband, which is very important to me, from having my dogs, and from friendship, from being creative and doing good work.

Over 20 years ago I asked myself that same question. Was it supposed to be just like the one my parents lived? It is easy to say just live your life one day at a time and pretty much that is how it has been for me. I can offer you that having my 2 boys has been the highlight of my life so far and as far as feeling fulfilled…volunteering is where it is at for me. My greatest joys have been helping out where I see help is needed and there are ample opportunities for that. You are at that ripe age to get involved and young active people are very welcomed additions to any volunteer group! Good luck in your life’s endeavors @ruk_d

How about this? Waking up every morning looking forward to the new day. It wouldn’t matter what you were doing if you could do that.

Work. love and play have been deemed by psychologists to be three important components of a fulfilling life. What ingredients you put in that stew or how much you season it will depend on you.

All I can say is that it’s impossible not to live a 100% human existence.