How to Find Satisfaction in Your Life . . Starting Now

Are you satisfied in your life right now? Do you feel the kind of joy you want to feel, the sense of success you’ve always hoped to achieve?

Or do you still feel the dragging weight of unfulfilled hopes and personal disappointments?

 I think if you asked most people if they feel satisfied in their lives, they’d name at least one thing that holds them back from experiencing meaningful joy. They’d say they could be happy if only:

 They got more recognition at work.

Their spouse showed them more affection.

Their business was doing as well as they’d hoped.

They had a bigger house for their family.

They could afford that dream vacation.

You get the idea. No matter what your personal needs and desires are, there is almost always something missing. So how are you ever supposed to feel complete?

 The answer is simple:

Focus on what you can control.

 As human beings, we give way too much power to things that are out of our hands. We wait for things to happen to us. We wait for someone else to make us happy or for the right turn of events to give us a sense of fulfillment. We set certain expectations, and when those expectations aren’t met, we list that disappointment as another reason why our lives aren’t as good as they could be.

 But trust me, if you want to create a complete and satisfying life, you have to stop waiting for happiness to arrive.

 Instead of focusing on the feelings you wish you felt, focus on the actions you can take to create meaning for yourself.

There are a few ways to do that.

First, if you’re unhappy, create a habit of appreciation.

 Happiness is a fleeting and unpredictable feeling. It comes when it comes, it goes when it goes, and it’s almost always the result of something you cannot control.

 Unfortunately, most people consider happiness the Ultimate Goal . . . which means they give circumstance the power to determine how satisfied they are going to be in their lives.

Take back control over your own contentment. Instead of waiting to feel happy, choose to experience appreciation.

 Appreciation is active. When you appreciate what you have, you consciously shift your focus to the things that give your life meaning. You remind yourself of the pre-existing circumstances that already bring you joy . . . things like your family’s health, your own health, a roof over your head, the food in your home, and the friends who are always there for you.  

 When you make appreciation a habit, a sense of satisfaction follows.

 Do you still have goals? Of course you do. Do you still have unfilled desires? You bet. But you enjoy the journey to meet those goals and reach those desires, because you’re finally conscious of what you already have.

 Next, if you feel unfulfilled, take meaningful action.

 We tend to think fulfillment happens when we check certain boxes off our lifelong to-do list. When you find love or reach a certain level of success or lose weight, then you’ll be fulfilled.

 Waiting for fulfillment is just like chasing happiness. You wind up sitting around wishing for a result instead of taking the type of action that will make you feel better today.

 If you want a greater sense of purpose and completion, you have to take meaningful action. What do I mean by that?

 I mean you need to live your life with intention, choosing to invest your time and energy into activities that hold meaning for you. Volunteer for a cause you believe in. Take action steps to overcome a challenge. Do one thing every day that brings you closer to becoming the person you want to become.

 The beauty of taking meaning action is that, while the end result might make you feel fulfilled, you also begin to experience fulfillment within the journey.

Think of the last time I faced a fear. How did you feel afterward?

 Or think of a time when you did something for someone else without looking for something in return. How did you feel about yourself, your life, and the way you chose to use your resources?

It doesn’t matter if you’re taking your first morning jog in training for that marathon or if you’re giving up a holiday to work in a soup kitchen; doing things that hold value for you gives your life meaning today.

 If you’re disappointed by unmet expectations, focus on creation.

 Stop defining contentment as fulfilled expectations.

Many people look toward the future believing they can be happy if things work out a certain way. If you get that job, if your kid does well in school, if your spouse stops leaving wet towels on the floor . . . if all these expectations are met, then you’ll be happy. The problem is, you’re giving everyone and everything else the power to decide your contentment. That’s a foolproof formula for a miserable life.

To find true satisfaction, shift your focus from an expectation mindset to a creation mindset. Stop thinking about what you hope you’ll get and start thinking about what you want to create. How can you shift your current life path in the direction of your goals? What can you do to take control of your own future?

It all comes down to making conscious choices.

You make thousands of decisions every day. From the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed, everything you do begins with a choice. And that, my friend, is power.

Imagine how far you could go in life if you made those choices with a deeper intention . . . if instead of simply reacting to disappointment, you took deliberate steps toward joy and fulfillment. If instead of scraping by while you wait for life to bring you want you want, you chose to be creative, proactive, and appreciative. Not only would you grow in powerful and life-changing ways, but you’d also enjoy the journey much more.

I’m not saying it’s easy. Appreciation takes practice. Meaningful action sometimes requires sacrifice. And it takes courage and drive to frame yourself as the creator of your own life, rather than banking on luck, circumstances, and other people.

But as someone who’s been there before, I can promise you: It is the right path to take it.

You’ll be glad you chose it.

Cheers,

Idan Shpizear