You will notice in this post that there is a more somber/depressed tone as this was made when I first came up with the idea of this blog and looking into the ideas/things that define a quality life. Since them I have been working on a more positive outlook, which will show in future posts.
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As we explore what makes up a
quality life, we should look at the definition of each word. Perhaps it is a
misunderstanding of what these words mean that makes it so hard to achieve
them. Let’s examine these words and see if we can develop a better
understanding of what it is that we are striving for.
Fulfillment, as defined by the
English Oxford Living Dictionaries website as the following: “NOUN [mass noun] 1.
The achievement of something desired, promised, or predicted” or “2. The
meeting of a requirement, condition, or need.”
When looking at fulfillment in
this definition, I come to the conclusion that fulfillment, is fleeting.
Perhaps, at the end of my life, I will see it as fulfilled, but as of right
now, I am not fulfilled. Maybe that’s a good thing too. If I were to feel
fulfilled at this point in time would I strive to better myself? Would I
continue to want to educate myself about the world around me? Would I continue
to look for answers within myself? That being said, I want to feel fulfillment
by the time I am old. I do not want to look back on my life and see financial
struggle, depression, and stagnation.
But we have three more words to
define before I get too far on my spiel. Let’s look at the next one.
The English Oxford Living
Dictionaries website defines the word happy (as happiness is simply a state of
being happy) as the following: “ADJECTIVE 1. Feeling or showing pleasure or
contentment” or “1.2. happy with Satisfied with the quality or standard of.”
Wanting to be content or
satisfied seems to be a lackluster definition when you consider how much weight
we put on this word. Perhaps this is a cultural difference though. In America,
we tend to associate happiness with materialistic objects, mainly money. In a
later blog, we will look at America’s happiness in comparison to the happiest
country in the world. Until then, let’s look at the last word: success.
“Success NOUN [mass noun] 1. The
accomplishment of an aim or purpose” or “1.1 The attainment of fame, wealth, or
social status” is how the word is defined by the English Oxford Living
Dictionaries website.
Now I don’t know about you, but
as I look at the definitions on this last one, I am left wondering if I really
know how to define what I want from life. Each of these definitions seems
fleeting. We are striving for things that, when you look at them, are not meant
to be constant. For me, it’s…disillusioning. Or perhaps I just need to look at
it in a different light. Re-reading these definitions, they all only appear
fleeting as I am in a point in my life that there are more downs then ups. Nowhere
in the definitions listed above are these words defined as fleeting.
What do you think? Are these
three things fleeting, or are they constant?
Till the next time!
