Over the span of 33 years, my role as a commercial airline pilot has afforded me thousands and thousands of listening hours with individuals in and out of the cockpit. I’ve heard stories from many professional pilots who appear to have it all, but truth be known, they feel locked into an unfulfilled life. They see themselves in a holding pattern and on empty fuel tanks. How could this be?  
  

Can you be successful and yet unsatisfied? Absolutely! And if this sounds like you, you may be asking yourself, “Now, what do I do?”  The secret is to reconnect with your untapped creativity. I’m not asking you to write a book or paint a picture. I want you to draw on your source of inner well-being.
   

Life satisfaction is a large component of well-being, and it depends heavily on how you view the significance of your choices and actions. A belief in something bigger than oneself has been linked to happiness. Of course, you don’t have to be religious to have meaning, purpose, or even spirituality. 

For many, a sense of connectedness to something bigger than oneself comes through helping others, working to improve the natural environment, joining a common cause, raising healthy children, and other such endeavors. Think of such actions as part of an internal wet compass that  points you along a path of deep satisfaction, provides hope, and shows how to make it through the painful experiences that life can bring.  

There is one thing I know for sure, change is the hardest thing a human being can do. When you make a change, it requires the belief that the transformation will lead to a deeper, more meaningful life.  When you cultivate your inner compass, when you find the source that makes you part of something bigger, go for it!  You may not see all of the positive possibilities immediately, but rest assured that it will provide you with a powerful way to bring a higher level of awareness to your work life and relationships. It will move you in the direction you want to go – out onto the path of well-being. 

For a great resource on connecting to something bigger than yourself, I recommend Adam Leipzig’s TEDx talk, “How to know your life purpose in 5 minutes.”