Aligning Purpose and Fulfillment: Holistic Approach to Achieving an Awakened Life

Tawnya & Scott Landis
Mar 27, 2023



While some people lead colorful, purposeful, and fulfilling lives, most just go through the motions like zombies. Which category do you belong to? At one point in my life, I was part of the latter group. However, I managed to recover and am still in the process of bettering myself. How did I do it? By striving for an awakened life through aligning my purpose and fulfillment. In this article, I will discuss my journey toward finding my purpose and living a fulfilled life, along with some tips on how to achieve them.


What is the distinction between success and fulfillment?

When I started my entrepreneurial journey, I was solely focused on chasing success. As a highly goal-oriented person, setting goals was all I knew how to do, and achieving them was a great feeling. I believed that meeting my goals was the definition of success and that success equated to fulfillment. It wasn't until I experienced my first major setback that I began to question everything I had been doing.

Upon reflecting on my life, I realized that I wasn't truly happy with what I was doing - I was only doing it because I felt like I had to and because there was a goal I was working towards. This realization led me to search for my purpose, and it was then that I experienced an awakening. I understood that in order to feel fulfilled, I had to live my life through my passions and ultimately find my purpose. This is what inspired me to create my brand, "Awakened Life."

I soon realized that it's not about choosing between success and fulfillment - they are two concepts that should be married together. Success without fulfillment is not true success. True fulfillment comes from making a meaningful and lasting contribution to something that you deeply care about - your purpose.

So, the question then becomes - how do you discover your purpose?


How to find your purpose?

As a life and business coach, I often get asked, “How can I find my purpose?”


Instead of focusing solely on your purpose, try asking yourself, “Who am I?” The key to discovering your purpose lies in understanding your identity. Everyone is uniquely designed, with different passions, skills, and abilities. By identifying these characteristics within yourself, you can begin to understand what you are meant to do and find fulfillment in your purpose.


But what happens when you reach a point where you’ve achieved your goals and yet don't feel fulfilled? This can be confusing, as success is typically associated with fulfillment. In this situation, it's essential to introspect and ask yourself if your achievement aligns with your purpose. For example, if your goal is to make a lot of money and you work hard to achieve it, you might find that you feel exhausted and unfulfilled. However, if you have a passion for entrepreneurship or coaching and you utilize your skills and abilities in these areas, you will feel fulfilled because you are doing what you love.


Another helpful exercise is the “life wheel exercise.” By measuring different areas of your life from zero to ten, such as your business, finances, relationships, health, and hobbies, you can identify which areas need improvement and gain clarity on your purpose.


When you align your purpose with success, you experience a sense of freedom and fulfillment. Although the journey may have its ups and downs, you can find peace and contentment knowing that you are grounded in your purpose. While aligning purpose and fulfillment may seem daunting, it is achievable with introspection and a willingness to explore your identity


How to bridge the gap between purpose and fulfillment?

From my personal experience, when you are out of alignment with your purpose, you may experience symptoms such as angst, anxiety, stress, worry, and sleepless nights. When you notice these signs, it's crucial to evaluate yourself and the things you do. It's also helpful to have someone to talk to who can offer an outsider's perspective.


Additionally, being part of a community and connecting with like-minded individuals can help bridge the gap between purpose and fulfillment. It's liberating to know that there are people who share similar circumstances and vulnerabilities, and this connection can inspire everyone to find their purpose.


In my Awakened Life Mastermind Group, we dive deep into each other's vulnerabilities through a process we call the "lifeline exercise." This exercise involves sharing all the high and low points of your life and mapping out your experiences to identify breakthroughs or purposes. The exercise is effective because it requires you to be intentional when sharing your experiences, making you more aware of your strengths and weaknesses and eventually leading you to find your purpose.


Holistic Approach to an Awakened Life

What is the ultimate goal? If it is to attain an awakened life, then purpose and fulfillment must align. Earlier, we discussed finding one's purpose. Now, let's delve into how to gain fulfillment from it.


The journey toward an awakened life is a holistic process that involves establishing the four pillars of fulfillment: vitality, impact, freedom, and intentional relationships.


The first pillar is vitality.


Vitality includes maintaining physical and mental health. This encompasses energy management, quality of sleep, balanced nutrition, flexibility, and overall wellness. Without a healthy mind and body, one cannot create an impact or leave a legacy in the world.


The second pillar is relationships.


Having awakened relationships means being intentional with them. Relationships are a crucial source of support when navigating through life's challenges. No one can survive in isolation. Therefore, it is essential to establish strong relationships that provide strength and support during difficult times.


The third pillar is freedom.


Freedom involves being free from external and internal pressure. To live an awakened life, one must be able to release themselves from financial constraints, relationship issues, self-imposed limitations, negative thoughts, and internal struggles. Having a free mind, body, and soul paves the way for becoming the best version of oneself.


The fourth and final pillar is creating an impact.


Identifying one's purpose is pointless if it does not translate into making a positive contribution to the world. Having an awakened life means a continuous pursuit of growth to make an impact in business or life.


All four pillars of an awakened life should complement each other. Without any one of them, achieving purpose and alignment becomes more challenging.


Conclusion

Living an awakened life is about being able to wake up every day with a sense of purpose, freedom, and fulfillment, ultimately leading to your best life. To gain more insight and guidance on how to achieve this, consider listening to this episode of my podcast focused on living a purposeful life.


You can also kickstart your journey towards an awakened life by taking the “Define Your Purpose Challenge.”  This challenge can help you identify your purpose without having to go through unnecessary trials and errors.