Path to purpose

Text: Bernice Li

BA (Hons) in Contemporary English Studies (2022)

Photo: iStockphoto

We've all been there - that place where we feel like something important is missing in our lives. As the founder of a community focused on empowering personal growth and collective wellbeing, my goal is to help people cultivate a deeper sense of fulfilment and meaning. Through one-to-one mind-body coaching and group workshops centred around mindfulness, creativity, and building a support system, I've witnessed the transformative effects of establishing a strong inner foundation for thriving and unleashing one’s fullest potential.

I feel called to share some key strategies that you can use to start feeling more fulfilled. Underneath the surface activities of our busy lives stand five core pillars that research shows are strongly linked to well-being, happiness, and even our physical health. Picture them as the support beams of a house - when each one is solid, you have a stable base from which to live your fullest life.

The first pillar is developing healthy daily habits. Accomplished individuals understand the incredible power of small, intentional actions done consistently over long periods of time to shape their realities. As habit expert James Clear stated, "Habits shape our lives, but we can shape our habits." I encourage taking time for self-reflection to gain clarity on passions and priorities, then planning a weekly schedule that protects slots for nurturing relationships, further learning, exercise, acts of kindness, and other uplifting routines before distractions fill your calendar. Discipline allows space for nourishment beyond momentary thrills, and is the foundation for purposeful living.

Finding activities that spark pure, unadulterated joy is the second pillar underlying fulfilment. It's all too easy to fall into the trap of believing we must excel at something to find it meaningful. I place great importance on simply committing to regularly engaging in hobbies or pastimes for no reason other than that they bring you happiness - whether that's dancing, making things, volunteering, reading, or running. Do it for it brings you joy, and indulge in the joy it sparks in you.

Rest and relaxation, the third pillar, are just as essential as work and productivity for holistic well-being. Hong Kong's fast-paced culture often encourages filling every waking moment and disconnecting from what really matters, which is being fully present in the present. I suggest scheduling intentional downtime through various mindfulness practices like journaling, breathwork, and contemplative walks, or other peaceful activities that allow for calm restoration and reduce chronic stress. When you slow down, life touches you in a completely different way.

Nature represents the fourth pillar, with extensive research demonstrating how spending unstructured time in green spaces reduces anxiety and depression, lowers blood pressure, and strengthens our immune systems. For example, scenic views can accelerate healing from surgery. Everything changed for me when I moved to a tropical island, only spending very limited time in the city. Nature is the best therapy, and carving time out to be close to nature will bring you not only a sense of calm, but clarity and serenity. Being close to nature is like going back to your mothers’ embrace. We are, after all, products of nature.

Lastly, cultivating daily gratitude through acknowledging life's simple gifts and beauty brings contentment. By training our focus on appreciating each new day's little lessons and blessings rather than dwelling on envy, we develop resilience, optimism, and purpose that circumstances cannot shake.

Committing to nourishing even one area is shown to increase well-being. When integrated as lifestyle foundations, these pillars provide bedrock for truly successful lives according to individual strengths and talents rather than unrealistic societal benchmarks.

I hope sharing these pillars provides a useful framework for cultivating more fulfilment in your own life. No journey of positive change is ever finished, so don't be afraid to experiment with different habits to see what strengthens your foundations. If this is all too much and you don’t know how to begin, ask yourself this: “What is one thing I can do today to feel more content?”