Fulfillment

Living a fulfilling life is fundamental to our emotional/spiritual fitness.  In Parallel Worlds (2006) Michio Kaku ends his book about physics discussing, of all things, the elements that make for a fulfilling life.   Here are his conclusions about the elements that give life meaning:

• Work gives us a sense of responsibility, purpose, focus to our labors/dreams, discipline, structure to our lives, it provides us with a sense of pride, accomplishment, and a framework for fulfillment.
• Love puts us within the fabric of society. Without love, we are lost, empty, without roots, unattached to the concerns of others.
• Fulfill whatever talents we are born with. We should try to develop our talents to the fullest, rather than allow them to atrophy and decay.
• Leave the world a better place than when we entered it. Make a difference, whether it is to probe the secrets of nature, clean up the environment, work for peace and social justice, or nurture the inquisitive, vibrant spirit of the young by being a mentor and a guide (this one I'm kinda partial to, since I've spent a career in its deployments).

Fulfillment is really an art, when you think about it.  It’s not something that we can purchase or inherit.  Our fulfillment is something we build personally, over a lifetime.  And, we never get finished.  On the day that we die, we will still be able to view that as work yet unfinished.

Yet, the process of thinking deeply about focusing our lives, our time, our effort, and our tangible resources on the things that have real meaning is the essence of crafting a fulfilling life.