The Three Pursuits of a Life Fulfilled
Throughout the history of time, men have pondered what it means to live a fulfilling life.
Throughout the history of time, men have pondered what it means to live a fulfilling life.
An age-old question that is always asked but never answered.
I am just a 24-year old who knows nothing, trying to make sense of the world around me. I am sharing my thoughts in attempts to stimulate meaningful conversation around such an interesting topic, and hopefully find some truth in the process.
(*tosses hat in the ring*)
Living a life fulfilled is achieved through the pursuit of three ideals.
1. The pursuit of personal growth
2. The pursuit of love
3. The pursuit of furthering human endeavor
The key here is in the pursuit of these three things, as there is never an end goal that leads to fulfillment. An end-goal provides just that, an end, which will leave you searching for what is next.
Be mindful of what is happening around you, not blinded by ambition or what lies at the end.
It’s so important to appreciate the ups and downs of your endeavors and appreciate life itself.
The Pursuit of Personal Growth
The definition of hell: when you die, you meet the person that you could’ve become if you achieved your fullest potential.
That is paraphrased from the quote of an unknown person, but it is a bone-chilling thought none the less.
Since I first heard this, I have been obsessed with making it a life goal to try and become the best I can possibly be. As long as I live, there will always be ways to get better.
It may sound cliché, but you really can do anything you set your mind to. Everyone is capable of great things if they stay focused and consistent.
Jeff Bezos built Amazon culture on the premise that “Every day is day one”.
Start treating everyday as if it is the first day of the rest of your life, because that is exactly what it is.
The pursuit of your greatest potential is not a selfish endeavor. You owe it to not only yourself, but to the people you love, the ones that came before you, and the ones that will follow, to make the most out of what you were given.
The Pursuit of Love
It is not outrageous to say that the best moments of our lives have been spent with the ones we love, doing the things we are passionate about.
Love is something that we all yearn for, an innate desire for significant connection.
Love comes in many forms:
The love of your significant other. The love of your family. The love of your children. The love of your life-long friends. The love of the things you are passionate about. The love of the simple things in life. The love of marvel in the world. And of course, the love of yourself.
A child born, a first kiss, a long-awaited reunion, or that moment where it just all comes together.
It is in the pursuit of these things that we find joy and fulfillment.
The beautiful thing about love is that it's not always obvious. Love can be something you found but never expected. Something that may be hidden, waiting to be discovered.
There is never too much love to be had.
Love is not a finite resource that you give sparingly, it is an infinite source that should be given graciously.
The Pursuit of Furthering Human Endeavor
The human race has not progressed to where we are because of selfish pursuits. We are where we are because those that came before us imagined a better world.
They weren’t blind optimists, though. They knew things would get better, but they actually worked to make that happen.
A rising tide lifts all boats
Be the rising tide. Find something outside of yourself that matters to you and work tirelessly towards its advancement.
The best way to establish your legacy is to leave an impact on people, not through selfish endeavors.
Knowing that you contributed to the advancement of society, or at least tried your best too, is fulfilling in my book.
But What the Hell Do I Know…
In the pursuit of these three things, we can find at least some direction in this life. And really that’s all we can ask for - a little direction.
I recently came across a Japanese philosophical concept called “Ikigai”, and I think it encompasses these thoughts well.
Essentially, Ikigai is a reason for being. It is the culmination of doing what you love, what the world needs, what you can be paid for, and what you are good at.
This is primarily applicable to one single endeavor, of which I believe humans can embark on a multitude of personal journeys, but I think many will find this idea to be profound.
We are all born with different gifts, in different circumstances, but we can all do our best to pursue these things.
Fulfillment lies in the pursuit, not in the achievement. The achievements are the things you celebrate along the way, not the finish line.
The journey means nothing if you don’t enjoy the ride. There is no end goal and if you race to a nonexistent finish line, you are missing the point.
But again, what the hell do I know? I am just a man trying to make sense of my time on this magnificent rock.
Hopefully inside these thoughts you may find some truth and if not, let us know - what does it mean to live a life fulfilled?
Never stop innovating,
Jake
Follow me on Twitter (@chefsteff_) for more insights into the Web3 world.
The Three Pursuits of a Life Fulfilled
I love it!! Great thoughts for a 24 yr old, awesome things to come