Life beyond happiness

There is more to life than happiness

There is more to life than happiness

There is more to life than happiness

There is more to life than happiness

There is more to life than happiness

There is more to life than happiness

Here are the four categories that are important to lead a meaningful life:

● Belonging

● Purpose

● Transcendence

● Story telling.

■ Belonging comes from being in groups where you are valued for being yourself, and you value the others for they are. Life connection with others is why we are here. To be our true selves, a sense of belonging is important. It’s the feeling of being a part of something, and without it we can feel lost, sad, and even unhappy. You have the choice to build a community which can ultimately cultivate that sense of belonging.

■ Purpose is about what you give rather than what you want. It is how you use your strengths to help others. It’s why you get out of bed in the morning. But finding purpose can be challenging, and communicating it even harder. Here is the concept of having a ‘Massively Transformative Purpose (MTP)’and the attributes that it needs to have, with some examples. Having an MTP helps you to focus on external impact and acts as motivation to progress your goals. 

■ Transcendence is feeling connected to a higher reality. That is to be working towards achieving something bigger than yourself, or to be advancing a cause. It is acknowledging what you bring to the table, and turning that into action for your mission. This will ultimately be aligned to your MTP.

■ Story telling is the internal narrative you have about yourself. Knowing your story through the experiences and choices that you have made. This could be bound by limitations, or by not being in control of your story. But you can edit and retell your story. It is a choice whether your narrative is one of what you lost, or what you have gained. It is in sharing your story that defines how the world sees you, and how you see yourself.

The four pillars discussed here are what give us meaning. By focusing on the pillars, rather than chasing happiness, you will ultimately find fulfilment.

Science of achievement and the art of fulfilment

Understanding that seeking fulfilment is the key is different from knowing what action to take to get there.  You need two skills to live a successful and fulfilled life:

● The science of achievement

● The art of fulfilment.

What distinguishes science from art, is there is a formula for success making achievement a science, but the source of fulfilment is different for everyone, making it an art. In line with this, he says you have to follow the three forces of creation:

Focus – this comes from the desire to make progress, and the alignment with your purpose. When you are low on motivation, aligning with your MTP will give you the impetus to continue progressing. But without that hunger, it might be a struggle to get to success.

Massive action – use a successful method of execution. Find somebody who has already figured it out and use their process to make it happen. Do this by testing the idea against believable people, or finding a mentor in that same space, for instance.

Grace – this is the acknowledgement of things out of your control, and seeing them as opportunities when they happen. This is a mindset, because there will always be uncontrollables on a path, and you can choose to automatically approach them with grace.

By working with these ‘forces’ you will create the path to achievement. It is through alignment with your MTP, combined with surrounding yourself with the right people that you achieve fulfilment alongside achievement.

Ultimately, you can make the decision to show up and plan your life. If you don’t it can easily become a circle of looking for happiness or success without finding fulfilment.