Category: Fulfillment

What Brings You Spiritual Fulfillment?

There is something in the human condition that calls out for spiritual fulfillment. How do you get yours?

Throughout recorded human history, the human species has sought out spiritual fulfillment. There have always been philosophical questions that have been asked: why is our world the way it is? What happens after we die? How can I find meaning in my life? Why is there something rather than nothing?

To try to answer some of these questions, some people turned to a supernatural explanation. There might be one or more gods, that are responsible for everything.

One god might drive a flaming chariot across the sky each day that appeared to us as the sun. Another ruled over the oceans, and his temper caused the frequent storms that would toss ships hither and yon.

Or there might be just one god, like the one in the Jewish, Christian, or Islamic traditions (they all derive from the same origins). That one created the heavens and the earth, the story goes, and everything we know.

Alternately, there might be a strictly scientific approach. As we learn more about how the world works, we delve deeper and deeper into the rules for matter and how it interacts. Elements, atoms, the quantum world, and so on. This approach might answer some of the big questions, but left others untouched.

Still others choose to look inward, including meditation, or internal energy that can be harnessed or manipulated. Some cultures use mind-altering drugs as the vehicles for spiritual exploration.

How do you connect with something larger than yourself? It might mean going to a house of worship, reading a sacred text, or spending some time each day in quiet meditation. What brings you spiritual fulfillment?

Related questions: What does spirituality mean to you? Do you have a personal philosophy? Where do you find meaning in your life?

What Keeps You Motivated?

It is one thing to get motivated to take a risk or to start something new. It is another to maintain that motivation.

It is an all too common story: you are excited to start something new.  That excitement wanes, however, as you get into mundane — but necessary — tasks. It might even ebb so low that you forego the project altogether.

As it turns out, there are two different, yet equally important, steps. One is to work up the motivation necessary to begin. The other is to remain motivated, through all the ups and downs that may follow.

Building the initial excitement is not a trivial task. But let’s assume for a moment that you can work up the necessary enthusiasm. How do you keep motivated, or at the very least, keep working despite fading energy?

Do you continually remind yourself of the end goal you are trying to achieve? Or do you enlist the help of others that you hope will motivate you? Do you try and structure the project so there are a number of accomplishments along the way that you can use as little boosts of momentum? Or perhaps you announce things publicly and hope that outside expectations will provide the necessary motivation?

What keeps you motivated, particularly when that motivation starts to wane?

Related questions: What motivates you? How do other people motivate you? Where do you get your energy? When is it useful to fail?

What Do You Like Most About Your Job?

What are the most appealing parts of your job? Health insurance, salary, co-workers? Is it fulfilling? Something else?

Share why if you wish.

Do You Pray?

For some, prayer is almost a second language. For others, to pray might be inconceivable. Where do you stand? Do you pray?

It might seem at first that prayer is reserved for the religious. For those who believe in a deity, it is only natural to offer up a thought, or wish, to that higher power.

However, anyone can pray. Even if you are not a member of an organized religion, you might still believe in something larger than yourself. Even an atheist might see the value in putting out good vibes to the universe in some sort of structured way.

Of course, different people view prayer differently. For some, the way that many approach prayer — asking for material wealth or good fortune for you or a loved one — seems downright silly. Even if there is someone listening, why would they care if your favorite sports team beats it’s cross-town rival? Why should your plea for a better job, newer car, or winning the lottery matter?

So a secondary question might be: How do you pray? Is it asking for favor for yourself and misfortune for those you don’t like? Is it an attempt at a conversation with someone that isn’t there? How about an attempt to understand the world and your place in it? Would you consider that praying?

What does prayer mean to you? Do you practice it, and if so, how?

Related questions: Are science and religion compatible? What does spirituality mean to you? What do you believe?

How Do You Make It Possible To Do What You Love?

Even if you know what you want to do with your life, there can be many things preventing you from doing it. How do you overcome them?

There are many obstacles that can get in your way. The most obvious, of course, is that you may not know what it is that you love to do. Finding what fulfills you is one of the great projects in life.

If you are lucky enough to know what you love to do, there are still several things that may stand in your way.

For instance, you may not have the necessary skills or attributes. If you love playing basketball but are only five and a half feet tall, the most you can be is an enthusiastic amateur.

Similarly, health concerns may prevent you from doing what makes you happy. A musician might lose their hearing, say, or a writer could lose their eyesight.

Financial obstacles may get in the way as well. If you love something that requires a lot of money but you don’t have it, what then? Do you learn to live without, or find some way of doing an expansive activity on the cheap? Or maybe find an extra way to earn the necessary funds?

There may also be time restrictions, geographical limitations, too much competition, or any number of other potential problems.

When faced with such an obstacle, what do you do? Can you think of a specific instance in your life that fits this description? How did you overcome it, or did you reluctantly give up on your passion or your dream? How might you handle a future issue that could arise?

Related questions: What are you passionate about? What do you do best? Why do we like what we like? What gives you purpose? What are you willing to sacrifice?