Why do people always seem to want more and more in life and not have gratitude for what they have? You know what I am talking about. We strive to become bigger and better yet rarely seem satisfied. The pursuit of the next level consumes people in ways that take a toll on their overall happiness. Why are we wanting more and more?
Is it the keeping up with the Jones’ or is it something else entirely?
I believe that there’s a difference between chasing your big dreams and just constantly wanting more due to a lack of appreciation and gratitude for what you already have. We seem to require a sense of purpose to thrive. Perhaps a sense of belonging.
Don’t get me wrong, I have been chasing different levels for some time now. For me, it was because I never felt that I was enough as I was.
At the crossroads
My feeling of self-worth was lacking and my past experiences in life came together in a potentially toxic recipe. I arrived at the crossroads of feeling like a failure and my divorce process was continuing on and on. I was at the lowest point of my life and just wanting to show the world that I could get anything and everything, thus disregarding my original desire to just be happy.
Life has a way of throwing things at us and it is up to us on how we react to them. If we are constantly chasing happiness we may never find it, because, in my opinion, your brain will continue feeling as if it is unhappy. If we aren’t grateful for the here and now, then each step forward we take and each goal we achieve will leave us feeling dissatisfied.
Be grateful for what ya’ got
This is a complicated topic because there is a fine line between accomplishing amazing things in our lives for ourselves and just wanting more and more in general with no rhyme or reason. I believe it’s important for us to be all that we can be while having the appreciation and value in what we have accomplished thus far.
Society has been force-feeding us this line that we aren’t enough as we are. We don’t need to be perfect. Perfection isn’t real in my opinion and usually, the people that have the perfectionism mentality are the ones that have had emotional traumas in their past that have left them feeling as if they weren’t enough. I think this was a description of me a few years ago.
Take time to celebrate your achievements
You hear people tell their stories that they always wanted to be such and such and they went to college to start the process. They work hard in college and forego many of life’s pleasures. Next, they graduate with great grades and successfully start in their chosen field. Sadly, they don’t pause to celebrate their achievements which took them many years of sacrifices.
Once in the position they worked for, they now feel the need to immediately want the next big title. They know that to get to that next level they need to work way more hours and sacrifice more of their lives. Again, they don’t take the time along the way to enjoy themselves and soak in the wonderful world around them. Twelve years go by and now they realize that they seem to be in a hamster wheel. Just spinning in circles and not happy at all.
Conclusion
Reaching certain goals in life can take some serious planning and you may have to sacrifice many things to get there. It’s so very important for you to first recognize whether those goals are your goals, society’s views, or if there are some unresolved issues within yourself that could potentially leave you feeling empty once you arrive at that finish line. Think about it and take the time to appreciate all that life is, because tomorrow may never come. Stop wanting more and more, soak in the beautiful life you currently have. Try to avoid being materialistic.
