If you’ve ever had the thought, “There must be more to life than this,” you are not alone. And you’re probably not even depressed.
The feeling that there’s more to life than we’re currently living can overtake any one of us, at any time. It doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor; whether you feel out of options or at the top of your game.
The reason that most everyone is plagued by this thought at one time or another is really quite simple:
There IS more to life than most people realize. Much more, actually.
On the surface, the realization that there must be more to life may seem like really bad news. After all, no one wants to settle for less or relishes the idea of living well below our potential.
But by keeping in mind these 3 basic universal principles, you’ll come to embrace the feeling of “Is this all there is?” when it sweeps over you. First, you’ll understand how this feeling can serve as a catalyst for your evolution. And more importantly, you’ll discover how embracing this feeling can actually lead you to a life of much greater fulfillment and meaning.
Principle #1: We are always evolving.
Finish lines may exist in marathons, but in real life, they’re an illusion.
None of us – no matter how much we’ve achieved or how accomplished we may feel – is ever done evolving. There will never come a time when we stand back and say, “That’s it. I’m done. I now have everything I will ever want!” This moment will never come, because life doesn’t stand still; it keeps moving. Fulfillment is not a destination we reach, but a sensation of being in harmony with Life’s expansion.
Some people race through life as though it were a timed event, trying to reach that illusory finish line. And in so doing, they miss the joy of the journey, which really is the stuff life is made of.
Think of it this way: Would you want to be served all the food you will ever eat in your lifetime in one meal? Of course not. Having that much all at once would overwhelm you. It would become a source of angst rather than a source of fulfillment.
Fulfillment comes from the experience of wanting something and getting it. Of striving for something slightly out of reach and getting hold of it. And in that process, of course, we are going to feel a desire for something more. Of course, we’re going to feel, at times, a feeling that “there must be something more than this.”
To be alive is to be continually hungry and then full; to be discontented and then satisfied. We will always be in a state of wanting more, and that wanting is the vehicle that allows us to become more.
The awareness that our present reality is not everything we would like it to be is what gives birth to the very first seed of desire. And that desire is the vehicle through which we can realize everything that we have the potential to become.
So, embrace the feeling that there must be something more to life than this. There is, and because you are an evolving being, that means there is more to you, too.
Principle #2: Embrace the feeling that “there must be more to life than this” as an invitation to go deeper.
Sometimes we get blindsided by the thought, “Is this all there is?” It takes us by surprise at the very times in our lives when we always believed we’d be the happiest.
We earned the diploma. Or, we got the job. We met the man (or woman) we want to spend the rest of our lives with. The children, the career, the picket fence… However you define what the ideal life should look and feel like, there is a certain vulnerability that comes from successfully creating it.
Why? Because once you’re surrounded with everything you equate with success, you know for sure that objects don’t make you happy. The sentiment, “there must be something more to life than this” is often a sad recognition that you can’t find happiness from the outside in.
So, if happiness doesn’t come from things, or circumstances, or from other people’s validation, where does it come from? Where do we look to find the “more” that we’re seeking?
Happiness – like love, freedom, and contentment – is a quality that exists in the spiritual realm. And to find it, we have to look deeper than achievements or circumstances.
To discover the “more” that you’re truly seeking, root yourself more deeply – emotionally and spiritually – in where you are, right now.
In this very moment, there are hundreds of thousands of things that you could flow your appreciation toward. Because everything you are now living was once only a desire, a dream that you nurtured into being. When you take a moment to appreciate the becoming of all that you have already created in your life, you do more than open yourself to more manifestations. You flip your perspective from lack to abundance, and begin to notice the joy that’s available all around you.
Rather than taking for granted the people you’ve attracted into your life, really, really appreciate them. Remember what it was like to long for the children, for the friends, for the life partner. And take stock of the ways you have grown as a result of your associations with the loved ones in your life.
The feeling that “there must be something more than this” is an invitation and an opportunity to deeply appreciate yourself and your life. And in appreciation, you are grounding yourself in the spiritual realm where happiness, abundance and fulfillment reside.
Principle #3: Remember that your perspective creates your experience.
It’s easy to become myopically focused on the span of this particular lifetime. After all, there are things we want to accomplish and milestones we want to reach. But when we lose sight of the big picture, and our place within this vast universe, we are left asking “Is this all there is?”
Seen from one perspective, your goals and objectives seem vitally important – worth losing sleep over, in fact. But when seen from the perspective that we’re all hurdling through space at dizzying speeds, those goals take on new levity.
Reminding yourself of the bigger picture allows you to find humor in things that once stressed you out. And knowing that there are forces far greater than you in the universe allows you to relax and surrender. By deliberately altering your perspective, you discover a powerful universal truth: The state of mind you’re in determines your experience of reality.
So the next time you find yourself thinking, “There must be more to life than this,” remember that there, in fact, is. There will always be more for you to discover, experience, grow into, and become. And by appreciating your growth thus far, you exponentially increase your chances of happiness.
Christy Whitman is an energy healer, Master Certified Law of Attraction Coach, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Having It All: A Woman’s Guide to Unlimited Abundance. Her latest book, The Desire Factor: How to Embrace Your Materialistic Nature to Reclaim Your Full Spiritual Power is on sale now at www.thedesirefactor.com. Christy communicates with, and for, The Quantum Council, a collection of non-physical ascended masters who desire to help humanity understand that we are divinely designed for well-being, abundance, success, and loving relationships. You can take the first step in alignment and creating your desires by a free 30-day program called Watch Your Words by going here: www.watchyourwords.com.
