The Art of Living a Fulfilling Life

Living a meaningful life, a fulfilling life

After my injury, I experienced a major change in my life, and much of what I used to believe was fundamental to me living what I perceive as a meaningful life changed, or at least I felt like it changed.

When I started my rehabilitation at Sunnaas in November 2024, we made a plan for the rehabilitation, and one of my main goals was to get back to a meaningful life. But what is a meaningful life? What is it that gets you up in the morning, what drives you through the day, but more importantly, what is it that makes you go to bed with a satisfied and good feeling in your heart, because you know that your day has meant something, it has been meaningful? What have you achieved during the day that fufilled your life?

So I started to question myself: what is my perception of a meaningful life? And what are my expectations to have a meaningful life? That's what turns out to be quite an interesting journey into myself and back to the root of who I am, who I want to be, or do I really want to change, or do I really just want to restore the real me? Here's what I've discovered in my quest:

Living a fulfilling life is something that many of us aspire to, yet few truly achieve. In our fast-paced world, it is easy to get caught up in the daily grind and lose sight of what truly matters. Pursuing materialistic goals, chasing after fleeting pleasures, and seeking validation from others are all distractions that can lead us away from living a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Sound familiar? If so, keep reading. If not, I still recommend reading. Why, yes, you see, through my quest, my perception of what a meaningful is, changed, because it's more about filling your life with the right things, the things that actually matter and let go of what's not matters.

Yes, my perspectives and understanding are changing. A little bit back to who I really am and my true beliefs in life.

I belive its possible to cultivate a life of true happiness and fulfillment. I belive by embracing certain principles and practices, we can learn to appreciate the simple things in life, build positive relationships, overcome challenges, and find purpose and meaning in our lives, without searching far away from ourself.

Okay, let me try to explain what I mean, what I believe, whats is in my mind about this topic.

Distinguishing between true souls who see who you really are, and those they don't

One of the most important aspects of living a meaningful life is surrounding ourselves with positive people who bring us joy and positivity. However not everyone we meet will be good to us, some take more from us than we get back. Not because they clearly want it or clearly want to do us any harm, but we are different and see things differently at different stages of our lives.

To cultivate positive relationships, we must learn to distinguish between genuine souls who build us up and those who don’t. This requires us to be vigilant in our words and actions in our interactions with others. Knowing when and where to speak freely and relax, and with whom. Accepting that our relationships with people change depending on where we are in life and the horizon we are looking towards, that not everyone is meant to walk by our side throughout our lives. Accepting to let go to welcome new.

For me, this is one of the most important things about living a meaningful life, being honest with myself and others that not all people are meant to be a part of my entire life, that we may have walked the path together for a while, that I appreciate that time, but that we are now looking towards different horizons. Thats our paths no longer is the same, and that's okay. I bear no grudge and neither should you... Life is too short to bear harm.

The true treasures in life

Somehow I lost sight of my true treasures in life, I was busy building a career at work, highly appreciate the material goods that come with a good job. Being in the spotlight.

It's easy to believe that wealth and fame bring happiness, but in reality they are nothing more than illusions that fade with time. The true treasures in life are the emotions we hold dear, a healthy body, mind, and soul. These are the things that last and bring us true happiness and fulfillment.

To live a fulfilling life, we need to cultivate an appreciation for the simple things in life. We should learn to find joy in the present moment and be grateful for the experiences and people that enrich our lives. Instead of focusing on materialistic goals or seeking validation from others, we should focus on cultivating relationships with those who bring us positivity and joy and pursuing activities that bring us purpose and fulfillment.

Appreciating the simple things in life

Cultivating gratitude, humility, and contentment is an important aspect of living a meaningful life for me. When we learn to appreciate the simple things in life, we find joy in the present, regardless of our circumstances. This can help us develop a positive outlook on life, which can lead to greater happiness and fulfillment.

To cultivate gratitude and contentment, I began practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and fully engaging with our experiences. It can help us develop a greater appreciation for the simple things in life, like the beauty of nature, the warmth of the sun, or the laughter and smile of a loved one.

But back then, before things started going wrong, I made a list of what I truly value in life, and now I pick it up again, my list of what I believe is deeply satisfying and meaningful in life. How could I “forget” it for so long?

You can see the list from my "brainstorming" of what I believe are the core values ​​for a satisfying and meaningful life, at the bottom of the page.

Overcoming challenges and obstacles

Challenges and obstacles are a natural part of life, and they can help us grow and become stronger. However, they can also be sources of stress, anxiety, and frustration, especially after an injury or serious health problem. To live a meaningful life, we must learn to overcome these challenges and obstacles in a positive and constructive way.

One of the best ways to overcome challenges is to develop resilience. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks and to adapt to changing circumstances. It can help us stay focused on our goals, even in the face of adversity.

To develop resilience we need to cultivate our mindset, the belief in our abilities and talents, the belief in ourselves, accepting where and who we are, that it is not about how high you jump, but the jump itself that is the goal. It is about making peace with yourself.

In order for me to develop resilience, I surround myself with the right people. With their help, I work on becoming grateful to be here, understanding that the world maybe is a better place with me in it. That someone loves me for who I am and doesn't want me to be anyone else. That I matter. By them believing in me, by being there without me asking, my resilience grows every day, so that I believe in myself again, that my life matters. They help me see the beauty in the little things in life, like a cup of coffee with a dear friend, or just enjoying the beautiful nature that surrounds me. They help me help others, give me a purpose for getting out of bed most of the days, but most of all, now I go to bed almost every night with joy and peace in my heart. My life means something to me and to others again.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, living a fulfilling life is about cultivating positive relationships, appreciating the simple things in life, overcoming challenges and obstacles, and finding purpose and meaning in our lives. By embracing these principles and practices, we can learn to live a life of true happiness and fulfillment.

So did I find a meaningful life? Yes, I think I did. I found my way back to the values ​​I truly believe in, got rid of values ​​that don't really mean anything to me, I'm moving on with my life with other relationships, cleaning up some old ones and building some amazing new ones with those who are looking towards the same horizon as me. It's like doing a big clean-up in your garage and suddenly finding out that your car actually fits in there. I'm there today in my garage with my car, making peace with myself.

Appendix, my brainstorm list for a Satisfying and Fulfilling Life

This is a list I actually made a while ago, at a leadership seminar, where we went in-depth on yourself, both to give advice to others and to learn about our own core values. I picked it up when I got home from Sunnaas in February 2025, and revisited it. And it helps me a lot in my quest to dive back into the question of what a meaningful life is for me.

So I believe in these:

• Smile at strangers.
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Read a comic book.
• Write a journal.
• Exercise.
• Take a nap on the couch.
• Coffee break without my phone.
• Meditation.
• 6-8 hours of sleep at night. I wish😁
• Eat more veggies.
• Share my opinions. It’s ok to rock the boat.
• Care about things. Invest my energy into creating good.
• Don’t apologize when you need something.
• Reach out to an friend to say hello.
• Volunteer to help others.
• Tell someone you love them because you genuinely do. Always as in always
• Compliment others freely. Believe me, you won't look silly.
• Don't let your phone be the last thing you look at before you close your eyes for the night.
• Find a mentor.
• Mentor someone.
• Get a massage.
• Take a long shower.
• Prioritize progress over perfection and mean it.
• Have conversations that matters.
• Forget playing it safe.
• Pump up the jam.
• Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing.
• Stretch.
• Stop spending time with people who don’t treat me with respect.
• Do something that scares you and discover that YOU CAN do whatever you set my mind to do.
• Love yourself.
• Don’t get caught up in a loop of over-thinking and miss out on taking action.
• Stop worrying about others judging me for my choices. They will, but who cares?
• Make choices instead of defaulting to the “I guess no choice is a choice” option.
• Quick, make a list of three things that were good about your day.
• Now make a list of three things I am grateful for, no matter how small.
• Art. Put something that makes me feel good on my walls where I can see it often. such as pics from my trips in nature.
• Senses, scents. Smells can change mood for the better. Spray a fragrance, use fragrance sticks or light a scented candle.
• Pick one thing I've always wanted to do and do it. Skydiving, writing a book (even if I never get it published...)
• Stop comparing yourself to others. You are on your own journey.
• Leave my phone in another room while I eat dinner.
• Be humble, apologize if you think you have hurt or wronged someone.
• Forgive people who’ve made mistakes.
• Forgive myself.
• Acknowledge success, whether it is you own or other’s.
• Get back up when you fall. Again and again and again. Be both persistent and resilient.
• Try meditation. There are an array of apps to support you from Breathe to Calm.
• Practice moderation. Coffee? Candy? Screen time?
• Embrace patience. Not everyone and everything will happen on your timeline. Patience, old friend. Patience.
• Do something that challenges you. Don't be afraid to fail. Those who have never failed have never tried.
• Be caring and honest with people instead of burying your message under a mountain of politeness.
• Be honest with yourself about your choices and behaviors and if they are serving you or hurting.
• When I get feedback that I disagree with, take a beat to ask myself what could be true before I dismiss it.
• Go somewhere alone. A cafe, a place in nature... bring a book or watch people and breathe slowly.
• Create a vision board or at least jot down what you want to create in your life. It’s the first step to making it happen.
• Pull up a try not to laugh video on YouTube and, we'll, try not to laugh.
• Surround me with images and things that remind me of who I am at my best. Celebrate myself, it's my life.
• Listen to your heart and gut instead of ignoring your inner-knower.
• Be unapologetically you. Show up in all of your incredible you-ness. Live in the light. Live in the moment.

Fulfilling my life, and that trying to live by these makes my life meaningful, it's so simple and so difficult. Good luck with your journey🫶, I believe in you, With love Jørn❤️