How to Find True Satisfaction

A change of perspective reframes what is worth pursuing in life

Constantly striving, pursuing, and wishing can erode your peace of mind, but practicing stillness helps to foster a sense of calm and centeredness. (Oleksii Pidsosonnyi/The Epoch Times)

In both the East and the West, philosophies and religions have called on us to be still, let go, and rest in faith. Yet so many of us spend our time striving for a better life.

We define what we want, then hustle and push ourselves to make it happen. When it does happen, we find something else to strive for. When it doesn’t happen, we lament great disappointment. True satisfaction seems elusive.

Is this the best way to live life? Is it all about striving, achieving, pursuing, and obtaining?

What would happen if we stopped striving or, perhaps, redefined what’s worth striving for?

Instead of pursuing self-interest and material gain, might we strive to improve ourselves internally? Rather than wealth, accolades, possessions, and comfort, what if we focused on the following instead?

Gratitude

As Aesop put it, “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”

To practice feeling grateful and appreciative of all of life’s abundance is simple, but its benefits can be transformative.

Choose your preferred method—a daily prayer, a discussion at the dinner table, or a note you write in your journal each day. List a number of things you’re grateful for. Truly feel your sense of appreciation and wonder for the many gifts you’ve been blessed with. Whether it’s the air in your lungs, the sunshine outside your window, the love of your family, or a moment you enjoyed—the more you think about it, the more you will find to be grateful for.

Presence

It can sometimes be easier to dream and envision a different future than face the circumstances at hand and do what needs to be done.

Perhaps stoic philosopher Seneca put it best:

“Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future. The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. You are arranging what lies in Fortune’s control, and abandoning what lies in yours. What are you looking at? To what goal are you straining? The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.”

The best way to pave a good future is to be responsible for today.

Discipline

Instead of deriving from the relentless chasing of a dangling carrot, fulfillment can come from living up to one’s own standards through practicing discipline and handling the matters at hand.

Discipline can mean refraining from certain behaviors or consistently enacting others. If our heads are always in the clouds and we can’t even make our beds or keep our refrigerators stocked, the likelihood of achieving excellence on a grander scale will likely elude us.

On the other hand, one who can master discipline and take on the responsibilities of life tends to forge a foundation for greater things in the future.

Wisdom

An excessive focus on material gain or other worldly pursuits may be an indication of the need for higher wisdom. History has left us a treasure trove of great wisdom. Seek out new ideas to consider, and let go of the empty pursuits that aren’t serving you.

Kindness

The relentless pursuit of personal gain is a sure sign of a self-centered focus. When we point our gaze outward, we see the needs of others and find our compassion for them. Putting our skills and talents to use in the service of others is a much more rewarding effort. Inadvertently, you may find yourself enjoying the things you were striving for just the same.

Stillness

Constantly striving, pursuing, and wishing can rob you of the ability to find peace in your heart and mind. Practice getting calm, being still, and observing what truly is. There’s value in stillness, which a voracious hustler will surely miss.

Be still. Let go. Rest in faith.

How might your perspective change if you do?