9 Secrets to Living a Happier and More Fulfilling Life

Cultivating happiness often doesn’t just happen all on its own. Usually, it takes a little bit of effort. And perhaps that’s one of the biggest fulfilling life secrets out there.

You choose happiness. It doesn’t choose you.

The truth is that our brains are hard-wired to help us survive. Our brain isn’t necessarily aiming for fulfillment or happiness. Rather, it’s preoccupied with protecting you and keeping you safe.

It’s not exactly a secret as to why 80% of our thoughts are negative. Your brain is looking for things that could interfere with your safety, security, and survival.

Thus, it may prove difficult to find fulfillment and joy in life. But it’s also not impossible!

In this article, we’ll offer nine fulfilling life tips to help you experience happiness, fulfillment, and maybe even life rebirth. There’s no better time to start working on improving your life than right now.

9 Secrets of Life for Greater Fulfillment

You’ll often hear centenarians open up about their long healthy life secrets and how they’ve managed to live their best life on this planet for 100 or more years. While many of them take care of their body’s health in various ways, they also tend to know exactly how to take care of their mental health and avoid taking life too seriously.

So, how do they do that? Many of their “secrets” are outlined in the nine fulfilling life tips below.

How can you achieve a new and greater sense of fulfillment? Let’s find out!

1. Accept Right Now

If you’re wondering how to live a better life, this mindset will help you appreciate your current circumstances and truly feel good with the now.

As humans, we frequently wish for more. How many times have you caught yourself wishing you had the latest iPhone or a new shirt or a bigger house or apartment? You think, “If only I had a spare room…” or “If only I had a bit more money….”

But wait a second.

What about what you do have right here and right now? You likely wished for your current circumstances at some point in your life, so take a moment and appreciate that.

Embrace your life where it is right now. This is where you were meant to be, and have faith in trusting the universe and yourself that it will take you to where you want to be. Need a little help to do this?

Try a daily gratitude practice. Really feel the appreciation as you write down all the things you are grateful for in this life.

Read this next: 5 Ways to Practice Daily Gratitude & Why It’s Important

2. Make Imperfect Progress

Perfection is an impossible standard. Quite simply, it doesn’t truly exist. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder - or so they say!

Yet, when you start understanding that imperfection is a part of life and is beautiful all in itself, you might feel less stressed, able to enjoy the moment more, and more fulfilled.

This also comes back to managing expectations in accordance with life events. When you keep your standards realistic, you won’t feel let down or held back. In fact, you’ll feel quite the opposite.

You’ll feel like you’re making strides forward, and you won’t get hung up on perfecting details.

3. Overcome Your Fears

Or, at the very least, face them!

I (like millions of others) am terrified of heights. It still holds me back, but I’ve tried to own up to it and face it. I’ve got skydiving and bungee jumping in serious attempts to gain back control of this fear. While I’m still just as terrified, it doesn’t hold me back as much as it used to.

Sure, I’ll still be overly cautious about heights, but I’m slowly working toward overcoming this fear and taking charge.

I challenge you to do the same with your fears. What scares you? Why? How can you face it and potentially overcome it? These are the questions you want to be asking yourself.

Fear is an innate mechanism that helps us survive.

Yet, in many life scenarios today, it can seriously hinder your development, opportunities, and - yes! - your fulfillment. So, take back control. Lean into your fears. Explore them and come out stronger than you ever thought possible.

4. Create Meaningful Relationships

Meaningful relationships within our lives hold so much importance. They offer you support and a chance to engage socially, all essential aspects of a healthy mind and healthy aging.

So, engage. Connect. Dig deep. Bond. Grow with another.

You will gain so much from these relationships and vice versa. If there is anything that COVID-19 has taught us, social engagement is necessary for good mental and overall health.

5. Determine Your Own Self-Worth

One of the secrets to success in life is knowing your self-worth and not letting anyone else determine it for you. Unfortunately, many of us look to external means for validation that we are worthy. We turn to other people to make us feel good and confident.

Yet, it’s so much more powerful when this comes from within.

You determine your self-worth, not anyone else. And we’ve got a secret for you… You are totally worthy! Know it. Feel it. Life gets so much better when you know your self-worth and make decisions based on that.

You might want to read: 3 Easy Ways to Improve Low Self-Worth

6. Learn to Love Yourself & Your Own Company

Who is going to stick with you until the very end? The one person you can truly count on is you. And don’t forget this.

Learning to love yourself and enjoy time by yourself can lead to greater fulfillment. When you love yourself, people can come and go in your life as you please, but you know you still have your number one: you.

When you love and know yourself, you’re also more likely to attract others that click with you, which means you can build those meaningful and satisfying relationships that all of us crave and that further propel you toward a more fulfilling life.

7. Go After Your Dreams

No one likes to ponder the “what ifs” in life. So, what if… you didn’t have them? What if you went after your dreams and finally answered that question for yourself?

You might be wondering where to start. It comes down to making a plan and setting appropriate goals (you’ve got this).

Life is entirely what you make it.

So, if you don’t love that job or don’t like where your life is at, make a change and go after what you do want. You are in total control here. You make the decisions in your life, so start making the ones you want.

Who knows how far you can go?

8. Spend Time in Nature

Technology is wonderful. But, it also leads to disconnections, particularly when it comes to nature and the great outdoors.

The easy answer? Get outside in nature more. Reconnect with yourself and this beautiful world and disconnect from screens and technology. It’ll give you more energy, and you’ll likely feel rejuvenated afterward.

You can even go the extra mile and do a digital detox if you so choose. This will allow you adequate time to step back from your electronic devices and live in the real world more.

9. Search for Happiness From Within

Looking for long healthy life secrets? Wondering how to live a better life? Quit looking externally and start searching within you.

This is similar to self-worth. You often won’t find it outside of you. You have to create it yourself, and when you do, you have so much more control and power over your life, more than you ever thought possible!

No one else can make you happy. This just isn’t how it works. You have to find that for yourself by getting to know yourself, finding what you enjoy, and giving yourself the proper doses of self-care.

Sometimes, this means spending more time alone, and that’s completely okay. Try it and find that happiness within you.

Step Forward Into Greater Life Fulfillment

Fulfilling life secrets aren’t exactly all that secret. Usually, we already know what we need to do. It’s just a matter of doing it.

But if you need a reminder, use our list above to help you take the proper steps toward greater life fulfillment. Step into the person you were meant to be. Reach your full potential.

It’s there. You’ve just got to go after it!

Related article: A Meditation to Find Your Inner Happiness