Five Blocks to Fulfillment

Why Does Happiness Take Two Hours, But a Fulfilling Life Takes Forever?

Unpacking the Five Modern Blocks to Understanding Your Own Joy.

Why do most people fail to live a fulfilling life when they could find happiness in just two hours? Why do we feel busy every day but end up feeling unfulfilled? On the other hand, why do we always waste large blocks of free time?

The answer is simple: you don't know what makes you feel fulfilled and happy. You don't know the mood you truly desire, nor how to experience that emotion. Consequently, you never experience the emotions you crave, and you gradually become numb, passing each day in this state.

So, why can't modern people understand what happiness is? My personal research has yielded five reasons:

The Five Barriers to Fulfillment

① Too much desire for security and stability.

This means prioritizing a peaceful and uneventful life over the things you genuinely want to do. However, life becomes incredibly boring once you decide not to take on even the slightest risk.

You don't order dishes you've never tried before.

You wait for free movies to become available instead of watching them now.

You prioritize avoiding criticism, even over fixing mistakes at work.

You choose stable jobs over those that feel interesting.

Many people probably live this kind of life. This mindset might stem from constant reminders from others to "Never fail," or from the media and online news instilling fear. While living this way every day might prevent you from getting into major trouble, it makes it difficult to experience the excitement of challenges.

② The belief that you can't do anything without money.

"If I had money, I could eat delicious food." "If I had money, I could travel." "If I had money, I could buy the clothes I like."

Many people say these things but do nothing.

Most people think, "I need to make money first," and then work tirelessly towards that goal. Attending a good school, working for a good company, starting a side hustle or business, or investing to make money—everyone thinks they should wait until they have the money to do what they love.

But do you really need to spend so much money to buy nice clothes, eat out, or travel? Does becoming happy really require that much money?

Actually, in most cases, it's not about not having enough money. Those fancy restaurants that seem expensive only cost a few thousand yen. A drink at a high-end hotel bar might cost a few hundred yen, but if you ask, "Can you really afford it?", I think most people could.

Things that bring happiness don't actually require that much money, right? I love tsukudani nori sauce. Eating tsukudani nori sauce makes me happy, and it only costs a few hundred yen. Most people just keep saying they need to make money first, taking a detour on the road to happiness.

③ Too much emphasis on "things you want to do," leading to procrastination.

Sometimes focusing too much on things you want to do results in all talk and no action, causing things to be postponed again and again. This is because you value the task too much and don't want it to fail. It's like someone who wants to make a living by singing but is afraid people will think they sound bad, and so doesn't dare to try.

This kind of thinking is truly regrettable. If it's something you care about, doing it will definitely bring happiness. But because you value it too much, you become paralyzed and can't take action.

④ The belief that doing many things constitutes fulfillment.

The internet is flooded with information every day. Perhaps you've thought that since there are so many new or interesting things, it would be a waste not to try them all. Trying different things isn't bad, but if you only do a little bit of everything, you might end up feeling no fulfillment at all.

Once you understand what makes you happy, focus on one or two things to increase your sense of satisfaction in life.

However, being influenced by too much information can lead to a loss of self-worth.

⑤ Too much concern for others' opinions.

Many people, because they don't want to stand out, don't want to be ostracized, and don't want to be criticized, become overly accommodating to those around them in life. However, doing so only wastes time on things that are good for others but not so enjoyable for oneself. This is why some people always carry too much work on their shoulders.

Thank you for reading!