Let’s talk about Success and Why Fulfillment Matters More
What does success mean to you and does it lead to fulfillment?
Here’s something that might take the pressure off your shoulders a little bit — success is an arbitrary metric.
To live a successful life is what we aim for. But what does it mean to be successful? 🤔
Success is one of those things only you can define.
Personally, I prefer the word fulfillment over success and here’s why.
Success can often refer to other people’s perceptions of our achievements and status in life (if we’re not careful). It’s often tied to external validation and not what a certain pursuit means to us on a deeply, intimate personal way. Fulfillment, on the other hand, pertains more to things that help us lead purposeful, meaningful, and happy lives. It is connected to our core — values, beliefs, unique journeys, and it’s rooted in meaning.
When a personal goal means a lot to you because it is tied to a story in your life, or it holds a deeper meaning for you, that achieving it would not only please others, but ultimately help you realize your purpose…to me, that is fulfillment. And that ought to be so special!
Even though society might hand us the barometer for living a successful life, it is still up to us to define what success means to us and how it looks.
How you define success on your own terms matters more than what people around you think or how close it is to their version of success.
Your friend’s definition of success might be totally different from yours, but it is their truth and version of it, so it is valid.
If your personal goal may look trivial to some, but it makes your life so much better, happier, fuller — achieving that is not success, my friend — but fulfillment! And i daresay that matters more.
It’s up to how meaningful our different pursuits in life are to us. It’s not up to how it measures in society or how it looks like to other people.
Be true to what will make you happy and help you fulfill your purpose, not what will simply please others.
I also believe that true success can be found in the journey, not the destination. It’s who you become in the process of pursuing a dream that matters more, than achieving that dream.
Lastly, purpose matters. And our purpose is often tied to our life stories, unique journeys, and the meanings we assign to our experiences.
Always believe in your ability to figure out the best path that makes you the happiest & the healthiest individual. And what will help you fulfill your life’s purpose — if you know what it is.
When you do that, and give your all to every endeavor, success is sure to be yours. Or I daresay, fulfillment in life.
What does fulfillment in life mean to you?
