What does fulfillment actually mean?

We all know that technology in today’s world seems to take away from basic human interactions.  In a world that is full of fast paced change and always striving for the next big thing in your life, it becomes almost impossible to know if we actually have a sense of fulfillment.  Due to all of the external distractors we have we often don’t take time to stop and ask ourselves if we are actually fulfilled. You might ask yourself what fulfillment actually means and to some it may be the next big promotion or the new car or to start a family but foundationally the key to fulfillment is helping others. If we take time to step outside of our own lives and look for ways to help others that is truly where we find fulfillment.  “Statistics say that 90% of people don’t feel fulfilled by the work they do and it is not because of the job or the pay it is because we don’t help each other anymore. We sit in our cubicles and only go to others when we need something yet we don’t put ourselves out there for simply any other reason than to help someone else.” (Simon Sinek-How to Find Fulfillment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KvDvRUNw9k).  So the question becomes “do you feel fulfilled at work, at home and/or in your everyday life, if not what will you do about it? If the key to fulfillment is helping others then what small steps can you take today that will make you feel more fulfilled? How can you reach out and help a co-worker today without expecting anything in return. How can you go home and do something nice for your significant other and not expect them to return the favour?

I encourage you to watch the video below. This video made me stop in my tracks and reflect on what I am doing to make the world a better place by simply helping someone else and expecting nothing in return. As Simon Sinek points out, in the video quoted above, helping others makes you FEEL good which is why we do it. And even bigger than making you feel good it helps you feel fulfilled.  So in our world today that’s full of constant negativity I challenge everyone to spend 5 minutes each day for the next month doing something for someone else. I guarantee you will feel more fulfilled in all aspects of your life by incorporating such a small thing into your daily routine.

Shannon Mellquist
Unity Credit Union