Audio version read by Rev. Steven Lane Taylor, B.Msc.
“Living a Meaningful and Fulfilling Life”

Is lasting happiness possible? From time immemorial, people have asked themselves this very important question concerning human nature and human life. The majority of people never find lasting happiness because, in a personal ego sense, most of them are living self-centered and self-absorbed lives.

Nearly all people try to find happiness through outside sources, such as another person, material possessions, a large income, power, and fame. At best, these individuals experience only fleeting moments of happiness; there is nothing in their lives that will provide lasting happiness.

Conversely, if you notice people who are not living self-absorbed lives, they appear to experience more prolonged periods of happiness. In the Biblical statement, “He who loseth himself for my sake, finds himself,” the self to be lost is the personal ego-self. Lose the personal ego-self, and your true self, or spiritual self—one with God—is there at the forefront of your consciousness. Your true self sees all of life from a spiritual standpoint or perspective.

Things that would make your personal ego unhappy are seen instead in the light of spiritual truth. Happiness is maintained even in difficult times, because everything is seen through a spiritual interpretation of the events taking place in your life. Living in such a light does not mean that you will never have problems. It is just that problems do not affect or diminish the lasting happiness that is an integral part of your life when the Light of God and your real self are present. Real, lasting happiness is a spiritual reality based upon spiritual realities and truth, rather than on any transient appearances, which have little, if any, lasting or permanent value.

Lasting happiness has as its central spiritual theme, living a meaningful and fulfilling life. Personal ego-self abandonment opens the mind to what is necessary to live a life of lasting happiness. When the mind is open and is not ego self-absorbed, there is a natural tendency to begin to think of others. Thinking and doing for others is the basic foundation for living a meaningful life. Live a meaningful life and you become, and are, fulfilled. Be fulfilled and you will experience lasting happiness.

Living a meaningful and fulfilling life also requires a synthesis of spirit, mind, and body working in harmony and balance on a daily basis. To feel whole and complete gives your life both meaning and fulfillment. Wholeness gives meaning because when you feel a synthesis or oneness between your body, mind, and spirit, it is as if God’s Consciousness—filled with meaning—and your consciousness share parts of what is meaningful in life. Take a few moments in your daily life to evaluate whether your state of mind is one that is conducive to achieving a state of synthesis, harmony, and balance between your body, mind, and spirit.

To live a meaningful and fulfilling life, the directorship of your mind should be turned over to Spirit, God, or Universal Mind. When Universal Mind is in charge, the personal mind is used to work towards a life filled with meaning. There is an old expression that states, “Let your conscience be your guide.” A more fitting expression for this subject would be, “Let your intuition be your guide.” Those who have studied both the mind and spirit recognize that the kind of meaning and fulfillment that produces lasting happiness does not come about as a result of reasoning or logical analysis, which are experiences of the intellect. Rather, it is the result of intuitive inspiration, brought about by God.

When God’s presence within you intuitively tells you what will give your life meaning, fulfillment, and thus lasting happiness, it can be taken as fact and lived out to your benefit and that of those around you. You will know if it is intuition from God because it will involve the good of others as well as yourself. Remember, living a meaningful, fulfilling life means helping others in some way.

Ultimately, to truly live a meaningful and fulfilling life you must live your soul’s purpose, as intuitively revealed to you through your inner contact with God. That purpose contains two elements: awareness and service. Awareness means that your soul has the opportunity to awaken more to God’s Presence. Service means doing something that will in some way be of service or help to others.

Ask yourself—particularly if you are not currently being of service to others—what God wants you to do. God will intuitively answer you. By then living out your life’s service, you will more readily lose your personal ego-self, which will cause you to awaken to God’s Presence within.

Serving God and serving others is the ultimate key to living a life that is meaningful and fulfilling. Look around you. Look for opportunities to be of service to God and to others. After all, it is an integral part of your soul’s purpose that you do so.

Dr. Paul Leon Masters

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