The means to experiencing fulfillment is a life oriented to meaning, as opposed to a life oriented to pleasure.
I guess the idea is that orienting yourself to meaning tends to mean orienting yourself to something larger than yourself – and truthfully, all conceptions there, be it god & religion, country, etc. boil down to ‘others.’
Because each of us, in and of ourselves, are rather meaningless. It is primarily through our connection with and impact on others that we become meaningful.
Whereas, orienting ourselves to pleasure and leisure, as has often been so fashionable to do with the wealth of our lifetime, leads towards isolation, as one becomes their own ultimate end in this equation – ‘everything done, done for me’ – and all events, opportunities, challenges become oriented to the equation, the often false tradeoff of ‘what does this cost me, what does it benefit me?’ How often we’ve seen this approach lead to arrogance, callousness, cruelty.
Far better to find how you can be a means for things greater than yourself. That requires connection with others. That requires experiencing humility, compassion, service.
Ultimately, that will bring the longest lasting smile to the most faces, including our own.