SOUL. On Fulfillment.

I recognize the strange way that my mind works sometimes. Take for example, words. I love thinking about individual words, breaking them down. I did this a lot in medical school (tinnitus coming from tintinare, meaning “to ring” or hypertension as those who are in fact high in tension) and it is a way in which my brain has always worked. I love words and language.

One noun I have been thinking more about lately is fulfillment. How many other words in the English language include both adjective and verb of the same word in one? Full and Fill. It just stood out to me one day plainly when I was on a solo hike, thinking about fulfillment myself.

I see a lot of patients who are unfulfilled. I think it’s a lot of people in general. Unfulfilled in life, work, relationships, health … it’s easy to create a laundry list. Part of my job for these patients is helping them to remember what does refill their cup? For every new patient I ask about stress levels / stressors, but I ask the counter question of what are your “blissors” or what lights you up? For those that respond “I don’t know,” I think to myself - we may have found part of the root cause here of their health issues.

I won’t pretend to be so put together, myself. In my first year of practicing medicine, I have pondered this question more deeply than ever. That “drained” feeling at the end of a day - sure sounds the opposite of full, doesn’t it? [you can see my April 9th, 2023 article on What Fills Your Cup?” article]

So, what do you do to fill your cup so you head towards full? In what ways are you giving that necessary gift to yourself?

Become alive thinking about this. And do it. Unabashedly. The trite aphorism goes, “You cannot give from an empty cup.” So give to yourself that which brings you fulfillment. Fill your cup towards full.