SATISFACTION

Going into retirement, the question that haunts me is, “how will I achieve or maintain a sense of satisfaction?” When do we feel satisfied? We may be satisfied at any given time but what about that overall sense that we are satisfied with life? The question elicits the idea of where we fall on the continuum between scarcity versus abundance. Do I see the world as being a safe place where I will get my basic needs met, or am I always worried that there will never be enough to go around? 

Am I happy with what I have or am I always seeking more? Does achieving goals make us more satisfied? Also we have to examine our perspectives on how well our expectations match up with our actual ability; and then the very nature of how we view our selves in terms of self-esteem, comparing ourselves to others, and our sense of worthiness.

Much of my research on the subject of satisfaction mirrors advice given on stress management or on lifestyle change. Live a healthy life, get involved, pursue calming activities, don’t spend time worrying, know yourself, and live life fully. The memes we see on social media sites will declare that we either need to be helpful to others or we have to be strong for ourselves.

It seems that there are degrees of satisfaction, and that it is perfunctory to hope to be fully satisfied all the time. Rather like perfectionism: the state of never being satisfied with ourselves or with the world around us. It is a question of what is good enough?

Isn’t the place where we are right now an okay place to be? - this is, after all, all we have, and it is not worth worrying or complaining about.

Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski on Stress

It seems to me that we have to confront and ultimately accept our dissatisfactions. To do this we must be non-judgmental, kind, and compassionate to ourselves. Growth occurs through stretching our boundaries, by attempting the unexpected, by being more spontaneous. Sometimes we must explore our discomforts in the moment in order to lead a more satisfied life overall.