Very few people experience soul fulfillment. Often it’s because we are so busy filling up our lives with what we have to do, where we need to go, who we must see. The list of activities, projects and tasks is on going until… At the end of the day, week, month or year when there’s no more to do or there’s no energy to do any more, a quiet persistent unsatisfied feeling begins to well up to the surface where we realize there is nothing but emptiness. The empty feeling is the void where lack of fulfillment rests. At least that’s how it feels. The reality is, the emptiness is where the soul can experience true fulfillment because it is the place of simply being.
There are many different facets to one’s self which cry out to be satisfied in numerous ways. Being engaged in activities and busyness; connecting with loved ones; communing with nature in silent solace are just a few ways we may experience fulfillment. But, are they enough or are they forms of temporarily quenching one’s thirst to experience immediate gratification? (Immediate, in this case, can mean several years when comparing it to a life time and eternity.)
In an email I received a story called: The Investment Banker and The Fisherman; author unknown. The story inspired me to write this article because it’s a great example of two things: 1) Satisfying the different aspects of self and; 2) Does it actually satisfy the soul? Well, here’s the story. Read it for yourself and keep them in mind during the rest of the article.
THE INVESTMENT BANKER AND THE FISHERMAN
An investment banker was on the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. His boat was full of beautiful yellow tuna. The banker complimented the fisherman on his fish, asking how long it took to catch them.
The fisherman replied “Only a short time.”
The banker asked; “Why not stay out and catch more?”
The fisherman replied, “I’ve enough fish to feed my family.”
The banker then asked what did the fisherman do with the rest of his time?
And he replied, “I will sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening, sip wine with my friends, play my guitar, … I have a full and busy life.”
The banker was not impressed. “I have a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat and from those increased proceeds you could buy several boats and soon have a fleet. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you could control production, processing and distribution by building your own cannery. You could leave this small coastal village and move to the city then to New York where you could run your expanding enterprise.”
The fisherman asked, “How long will this take?”
The banker said, “Ten to twenty years. Then you would announce an IPO
and sell your stock to the public, making millions and millions.”
“But what then?”
“Ah, now you get to the best part”, said the banker smiling. “You could retire to a small coastal village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings, sip wine and play your guitar with your friends.”
SATISFYING DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF SELF
After reading this story I considered how the fisherman spent his days. Not only are they full, his days are filled with what he enjoys and really loves doing. Every activity fulfills an aspect of himself; relaxation by sleeping in, playfulness while engaging with his children, exercising by lying with his wife and walking, deep self-expression through playing music and heart-to-heart connection by socializing with friends. He experiences fulfillment because emotionally, physically and mentally he is completely satisfied. His heart, like each of us, tells him what makes him most happy. But unlike many of us, the fisherman follows his heart toward self-fulfillment in all these ways.
The irony of the story is that he’s doing exactly what he desires to do, even without the success of earning millions as described by the investment banker. He has no need to build a multi-million dollar business – for what? To land right back where he started – doing what he already enjoys doing? In the story he doesn’t second guess himself by thinking he needs to start a major fishing business. He isn’t afraid of rejection, failure, or criticism to fully live from his heart. He isn’t riddled with doubt or uncertainty about who he is, what he wants or what he should do. He isn’t swayed by what other’s think of him or how he goes about living his life. He’s not looking for approval or validation of how he lives. The truth is he knows where he is, who he is and how he wants to live. He does not compromise himself nor does he invalidate what he knows is best for him. He simply follows where his heart guides him. And this is what it takes to be fulfilled, at least on these levels before transcending toward fulfillment of the soul.
EXPERIENCING SOUL FULFILLMENT
The fisherman is fulfilled on many levels but does that constitute soul fulfillment? The answer is not a direct, yes or no. The satisfaction he experiences is on the pathway toward soul fulfillment. To accomplish soul fulfillment means experiencing the state of simply BEING. To “BE” requires non-judgment, non-fear, non-attachment. One cannot be attached to anyone or anything. One must move past fear and ultimately, the fear of death. And to judge anyone or anything outside of self solidifies the false belief in limitation. Consider this concept; the belief in limitation is an energy form. If there is limitation it means energy is limited or finite. Energy never dies or is destroyed. Energy transforms into any configuration desired or required. Therefore, the manifestation of everything in our world is abundant because energy is abundant not limited.
Transcendence into the experience of soul fulfillment requires an abundance of love. That means forgiveness of self and others is essential. In reality even forgiveness is a step toward love, true unconditional love. It is the love that can only be described as the essence of the Divine. It is powerful, it is never ending and it is heavenly! The consciousness of love is demonstrated in the act of Being. Love is you, SPIRIT, simply Being. There are no other energies to activate you, spin around you, fill you up, or anything else. It is a singular act without internal or external stimuli. Just imagine you are at a secluded beach all by yourself, sitting on the edge of a rock cliff formation. You look out over the ocean. You “know” you are one with everything around you. Your mind is completely quiet. You feel nothing. The wind is not blowing, the sun is not too bright, there are no clouds in the sky. Only you, the rock cliff and water exists. This is the closest description of what Being is. It is an expanded consciousness surpassing every experience because it just is.
HOW TO ACCOMPLISH SOUL FULFILLMENT
To experience soul fulfillment is to BE YOU! It is a simple concept about a simple act – there is nothing else. The fisherman had fulfillment in many ways. He is able to Be in the present engagement of each action which leads toward soul fulfillment. What he demonstrates is heart fulfillment, as spoken about earlier. But, without heart fulfillment soul fulfillment could not happen.
How does one accomplish soul fulfillment? It’s accomplished by listening to your heart. Follow what you desire to experience – being married, having children, successful career, time to relax, expanding your education, etc. And follow exactly how your heart tells you you’d like to experience it – one child, working during the day while receiving an education at night, living with your partner rather than marrying, and so on. Once you have experienced fulfillment in one way it becomes easier to experience it in other ways. It involves trusting yourself and the Divine within you to guide you in making decisions supporting your desire. It also means practicing self-love and self-care. Loving who you are helps you take steps toward what you are lead to experience without doubt or uncertainty. By releasing the fear of death you expand the love of self into the love of all experiences toward fulfillment. When you fully love you, you don’t dwell in limited falsehoods and that’s when it becomes clear, soul fulfillment is not created but moves into a consciousness of being what is.
Lynne Herod-DeVerges, founder Center of Light Miracles
Who do you turn to when you get stuck in a rut? Don’t know what your purpose is? Want to know the future state of the world or your life? Go to ASK-LYNNE http://ask-lynne.org/ and find out the answers!