Panache

 You may feel that comparison is your biggest enemy. You open social media. And start comparing yourself to these strangers unconsciously. Therefore, you feel anxious, bad about yourself, and unfulfilled. But this feeling runs deeper than you can imagine.

It is not just comparing your life that is making you feel anxious all the time. Other factors lead you to feel unfulfilled in life. Some of those factors are written below.

Your work is not satisfying enough.

You spend the majority of your time at work. The majority of the population only come home to change, eat, and sleep. They wake up and go to work once again. But what if that work is not satisfying enough?

You may have started the job with much zeal and enthusiasm. As time pass by the initial excitement fades away. And soon, you find the same work tiresome and dull.

As per an interview, a guy gave 34 interviews at Google to finally land a job there. He said that working at Google was his dream. And he would do anything to be able to work there. But he left the company only after 4 and a half months.

He said the place and the work were not what he thought. Therefore, he immediately quit being hired even after so many attempts. What you think will fulfill your life today might not be the same after 6 months. And if you are not feeling fulfilled, this might be the case.

Your life goals don’t align with work.

What are your life’s aspirations? How do you see yourself spending your life? Do you see yourself doing the same work as you are doing right now? Maybe you wanted to pursue something else in your life but unfortunately working in a different industry altogether.

This could be one of the reasons why you don’t feel satisfied in life. While your heart is somewhere else, you spend most of your life’s time and efforts with something else. At times, this may feel frustrating. This way, you may never be satisfied no matter how good your day was at your current job.

You tell yourself that you will pursue what your heart desires once you have enough money. Or when the timing is right. But that is far from the truth. According to a Japanese saying, “If you get on the wrong train, get off at the nearest station. So, you don’t travel in the wrong direction for long.”

You are waiting for your happiness.

What is happiness for you? When do you feel fulfilled? You think, that once you get things you desire, you will feel happy. But you are proven wrong. Did you feel happy when you bought the latest gadget? Did you feel fulfilled after you got the promotion?

For many people, that happiness, or that high lasts for a few seconds. And again, they go back to being the same miserable person they were before they achieved what they thought was happiness. Your happiness is now. Your happiness is in the process of achieving success.

You will enjoy the process when you start enjoying what you do. You won’t wait to achieve anything to feel happy. It would be right there. You won’t have to chase happiness. Instead, you will sit, and relax and it will come to you. You will feel at ease in every moment.

You don’t know yourself.

Do you know yourself? Why do you feel so confused? Why does social media make you feel so anxious? The answer to all of these questions may be, you don’t know yourself yet.

The moment you are crystal clear of who you are, what you want, and where you want to be. Nothing can make you feel bad. There is strength in knowing yourself. The reason you don’t feel fulfilled is you let others define who you are. You let others define what you want to achieve.

And when you give this power in someone else’s hands, they decide things for you according to them. Your true self will never be satisfied with what others decide for you. So, you need to dig deeper and know yourself. It is the first and most important step to feel fulfilled in life.

Also read: 8 things to know about yourself.

You are in the wrong company.

As social animals, we need friends and community to thrive. It elongates your life and with the right community, you feel seen and heard. But what if you are in the wrong company? What if your circle does not make you feel good about yourself?

If you hang out with the right people, they are supportive. They listen to you and help you when you think you are lost. However, when you are among the wrong set of people. No matter how good you are doing, you may not feel so satisfied.

Many people believe that the feelings of unfulfillment and jealousy are one’s own doing. But in many situations, if your friends look down on you, or make you feel ashamed for where you are in life. These external factors can plant a seed of unhappiness no matter how good you were feeling before meeting them.

Also read: 8 types of people you must stay away from.

You don’t get time to live.

What does living life mean for you? In the unstable economy and capitalistic world, it is hard to take a deep breath. Let alone, live life the way you want.  But have you ever thought about what your ideal day looks like? Have you ever asked yourself the age-old question, “What would I have done if money was not a thing in the world?”

Many people are running after the objectives that others set for them. In exchange for the rewards that others set for them. All they agree is to be a part of the system. During all of this, your life takes a back seat. So, if you want to read a book, go on a hike, play some sports, start painting, or work on your novel. It becomes hard.

Apart from that, what if you just wanted to take a vacation? You want to visit the local museum but you can’t. You don’t have time for it. If you will keep running after goals and not steal the time, to take a pause and live your life. You are meant to feel unfulfilled, no matter how profound your passions are.

Also read: How to live an interesting life?

You run after material things/ external validation.

Do you feel happiness only after someone appreciates your work? Or do you feel satisfied after doing your best? Do you feel happiness after increased sales? Or do you feel good about spending the money to show off?

This one is a mindset issue. You cannot be dependent on material things like money, success, fame, and recognition to feel happy and fulfilled. You will feel empty once you realize you didn’t get what you were running after.

Similarly, if you are depending on external validation for your happiness, you are meant to chase it in people. This is one of the biggest factors that people never feel happy enough, even though they did their best. It is also one of the big traits of having anxious attachments.

You have past trauma/ unresolved emotions.

Maybe the definition of happiness was never set by you. Maybe before you could understand and comprehend your life and its meaning. Someone else taught you something toxic about it and now nothing makes you happy.

This learning or conditioning stays with you in the form of trauma or unresolved emotions. So, even though you feel happy and fulfilled, it comes with a shadow. A negative feeling that either tells you that you don’t deserve it or it won’t stay longer.

Your trauma or unresolved emotions are like a plastic sheet. You see your happiness but you are enclosed in a vacuum and you can’t feel it yet. Only proper emotional healing and help can get you out of it. So, you can live your life to the fullest.

Also read: 10 glaring signs you have intergenerational trauma.

Also read: How to overcome generational trauma?

Loneliness has crept on you.

No matter how much you achieve, you need someone to share your happiness with. You need to come home and tell everyone how much you have achieved. Someone special who can be genuinely happy for you. And you want them to be happy in your happiness.

Loneliness is also known as a silent pandemic. People go to work, do their jobs, and come back home. Even though they have been doing good, they do not feel fulfilled. Only because they have no one to share this happiness with.

This is where your family, spouse, or romantic partners come into play. Your feelings of loneliness or unfulfillment vanish when you have someone to share your life with. And this might be one of the reasons why you don’t feel good enough about your achievements.

Also read: 10 signs you are lonely, not depressed.

You are stuck in life.

Have you been unenthusiastically following the routine? You feel like a hamster on a wheel who is not moving forward. You don’t know where to go and what to do next. You have achieved everything you had planned so far. And now you are in an existential crisis.

Though, this is a temporary state until you figure out what’s next. But this could be another reason why you don’t feel fulfilled. When you are thinking about your life you can only see darkness and confusion. So, you feel stagnant in your life.

This is also known as stagnant syndrome. And the sooner you find a way to get out of it. The quicker you will know how to feel fulfilled in your life. However, don’t be in a hurry. Take your time and decide for yourself. Remember, until you believe in yourself, happiness will wait for you.

Conclusion.

Do not let the world dictate what your fulfilled life looks like. All you need to do is to look inside and find what will make you feel content and at peace. Also, the definition of a fulfilled life can change as you go through different stages of life. So, be patient and enjoy the journey.

Do you feel fulfilled in life? What is your secret? Please let us know.