Steps to fulfillment

“God made great and marvelous promises, so his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” (2 Peter 1:4 CEV)

John Powell, in his book Fully Human, Fully Alive, describes the essential steps to fulfillment: to accept oneself, to be oneself, to forget oneself in loving, to believe, and to belong. I found these concepts to be enlightening but hard to digest. Thus, I will attempt to decipher it in my own words below:

Whatever we acquire, accomplish, or experience, our satisfaction seems fleeting. This world influences us to chase after the next pleasurable sensation. We continually seek for something new and exciting to fill the emptiness we feel inside of us.  We waste years striving but end up unfulfilled.

Self-Acceptance: The first step to fulfillment is to be aware of who you are, to accept yourself completely, and to love yourself compassionately. We are cognizant of our core principles. We know our strengths and weaknesses. We realize we are not perfect--that we may have to cultivate certain good habits and eliminate some bad ones. Many of us spend our entire lives without reaching even this first step. Because we are unable to accept ourselves, we continue to be imprisoned by delusion, insecurity, and dejection.

Authenticity: Once we learn self-acceptance, we are free to be authentic. We think for ourselves, we express our feelings, and we stand by our principles. We no longer solicit the approval of others. We don’t try to hide, pretend, or puff up. Instead, we present ourselves as is, unapologetically and mindfully.

Genuine Love: Self-absorption cannot lead to fulfillment. Thus, only after we learn to accept ourselves and be authentic, can we move forward to love others genuinely. This requires us to go out of ourselves and expand what and who we care about. Eventually, we develop a heightened awareness for the feelings of others and respond with empathy and compassion. We are more than ‘do-gooders’ who use altruism as a tool to feel good about themselves and seek approval.

Belief: Faith in something or someone beyond worldly pleasure imbues our life with meaning and purpose. When we are committed to our calling, devoted to a larger cause, everything we do to further this mission seems worthwhile. If we are anchored down in petty pursuits, our days are mired in worthlessness. On the other hand, when we believe in something beyond  human comprehension, we experience the transcendence of the Spirit.

Belonging: Finally, devoted to a life of meaning and purpose, we become eager to share ourselves--to commune with others. A desire to know and be known, to give and to receive, to have a sense of mutual belonging is essential to fulfillment. We retain our individuality but relish the opportunity to contribute to community.

My conclusion: None of us wants to come to the end of our lives and feel like we did a lot but accomplished nothing of purpose.  As long as the pursuit of pleasure is our primary motive, we cannot participate in anything meaningful. God intended for us to find fulfillment in HIM. Everything else is a diversion.