I did what I was supposed to do. I conquered mountains.
Why Am I Not Satisfied?
Many of the questions I am asked have to do with doing the right or appropriate thing.
If you lead your life with that as your guide, my guess is that sooner or later, you will be on the “Why do I never feel satisfied?” road.
In this article, I will explore four things that will create a meaningful and fulfilling life. Ready?
Value Authenticity Over Other People’s Opinions
I just led a spiritual retreat in Asheville, North Carolina. One of the places we visited was Turtle Island Preserve in Boone, NC.
The owner, Eustace Conway, is a renegade who was reared by naturalist parents who encouraged his love of nature. Eustace wanted to live wild and free and has done so. At 17, he moved into a tipi and lived in the wilderness for the next 17 years.
At 18, he decided to canoe 1000 miles along the Mississippi River. He crossed America on horseback in 103 days.
He was often told he couldn’t do the things he’s done. He was often called crazy, and yet he is living life on his own terms.
Most of us do not have dreams that are this extreme, but I use Eustace’s life as an example to show that happiness doesn’t come from following someone else’s path. You have to blaze your own.
Prioritize What Matters
Think about all the things we do in a day. How many of them really matter?
A meaningful life is one that prioritizes the things that matter over the ones that fritter your life away, create drama, or have no real value like gossiping, getting drunk, sleeping with people you don’t care about, or working a 60 hour week to have splashy vacations and a nice address.
Everyone has a different idea of what matters, but some things may be: spending time with family and friends, self-reflection through journaling, being in nature, eating quality food, exercising, and reading a juicy book.
The important thing is to feed your spirit before attending to other people and other things. If you start your day vibrant and joyous, it’s easier to do the things we have to do.
Value Love Over Things
Life satisfaction is tied to affection, not things. If you have people around you who love and care for you, and you do the same for them, life has meaning. It has value.
That’s really the bottom line.
The things many people chase – wealth, health, beauty, achievement, and experiences – don’t mean much if there is no one to share them with. And I don’t mean any old body.
I mean a person who knows our heart, whom we feel peaceful and safe with, and appreciates what it all means to us because they’ve seen the struggle.
Nurturing healthy relationships always pays off in smiles, sly winks, inside jokes, and good will.
Life will hit hard places. A Rolex can’t comfort you the way a good friend can. So love your people, and let them love you.
Know a Distraction When You See It
We all enjoy a distraction now and then.
The key is to not allow yourself to become beguiled by it that you get off track.
Life is always offering tempting treats. A high paying promotion that takes you away from your emotionally nurturing home base, a beautiful, fit partner who really isn’t compatible, or the career where you work sixty hours a week so there is no time for anything else, might seem like a blessing at first glance.
Go long. Look at the big picture.
There is no right or wrong way to go in life. Just know that if you entertain a distraction for too long, it may become a lifestyle that leaves you asking, “Why am I never satisfied?”
If you find yourself feeling unsatisfied, start letting go. Strip away the things that don’t matter, that tie you down, and aren’t authentic.
Keep going until you see you again.
Add love.
Stay there.