What’s the game of fulfillment?
The game of fulfillment is the search for meaning to one’s own life.
“Fulfilling” a purpose by playing the very game of life.
Though, not just playing it simply for the sake of it — but to do actually something meaningful by playing it.
All the way through to the end of one’s time in the game, however long or brief it may be, for human life twists and turns as it runs its course — anyone who’s been in the game a while knows this.
That there is no such thing as a direct path to fulfillment. It weaves itself together like DNA — day by day, week by week, year by year — until you are able to see the grand picture that is the meaning of your life.
One masterpiece composed of every splash of color you’ve experienced in your time in the game, framed by the human experience.
That is the game of fulfillment — searching, finding, fulfilling the purpose of your life — and, thereby, infusing it with meaning, even if only in your eyes.
How do you win the game?
Well, by simply finding fulfillment in the game.
Not “happiness,” “joy” or “pleasure” — for those are fleeting and won’t give you what you need as you look upon your life in its entirety.
Sure, life’ll have those moments of highs — when you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world — for but a moment or two — but fulfillment isn’t about that.
It’s about facing yourself, head-on, to reflect, “Are you satisfied in how you’re playing this game of life?”
Being direct and totally forthright with yourself: “Are you really going to be satisfied the way you’re playing this game by the time it’s game over?”
Some may want to find an escape from the rat race, heal the pain of someone close to them — or even you, yourself — or become rich in order to put that money to good use by changing some part of the world for the better.
Whatever it may be, the game remains the same: finding something deeply fulfilling that it draws you out of bed and ushers you towards the future you envision.
For it is this fulfillment and satisfaction from it that’ll power you through even the lowest of lows –when you’ll truly need it — as you search in desperation for a drop of inspiration to keep on going.
During those trying times, it’ll be there within like a wellspring; you’ll need only draw from it when you need as it fuels you to once again take another step along your precious journey.
Happiness, joy, pleasure — remembering those things will only make you feel worse during those times of desperation because they’ll be brutally, disappointingly temporary, recalled in imperfect memory — whereas finding deep and recurring fulfillment in the process of your journey as it unfolds, layer by layer, will push you through it all — highs, lows and everything in-between.
That is how you win the game: persevering through fulfillment over the course of your life.
Then…how do you lose?
By playing the game without purpose — finding no meaning in it, a game utterly devoid of it at all — in which case, you will have already lost.
Because by playing life’s game without true direction or purpose, you can easily waste yourself in it.
Going astray, losing yourself to tempting, dangerous vices, falling prey to others that wish to only use you, until you have nothing left of yourself or your time in the game.
Without something, anything true, to keep you focused and driven to fulfill, you can eventually find yourself crumbling like dead leaves, carried away by the winds of the changing times, withering away in the process…until there’s sadly nothing left.
It’s so crucial to have an object of fulfillment — that thing, whatever it may be, that gives life meaning — your life, meaning.
It need not be universal, popular or even convenient.
It need only be one thing: downright fulfilling to your very core as a person.
To you, deep within, as clear as day, because with it…you will never lose this game.
So. Don’t waste your energy. Go paint that masterpiece.
Afterword
Dear friends,
Nice to have you back, and thank you for reading some of my thoughts on the meaning of the human experience.
It’s just a simple desire but one, I hope, helps anyone that’s lost to find some direction from my words in some small way, whatever it may be.
If not, just to be able to share is good enough for me.
If it’s your first time here, welcome. It’s nice to meet you!
Regardless, thanks for stopping by.
Warm regards,
J.D.
