Battling the disease of chronic dissatisfaction

Rainn Willson is famously known as Dwight Schrute, one of the most iconic characters of the beloved show The Office.

For someone on television’s most popular show, who won several awards, earned millions and worked with an incredible team of people, one would imagine him to be the happiest person alive.

But Rainn felt quite the opposite.

He admits being chronically dissatisfied and discontent- chasing the next big movie and wondering why bigger deals won’t working out.

What Rainn experienced isn’t unique to him. This is a classic human problem.

We’re constantly after the next big thing rather than living in the moment and appreciating what we’ve got going for us.

The dilemma is balancing the dance between being content with what currently exists and being hungry to achieve more.

While this balance is deeply personal and subjective, defining what constitutes ‘enough’ is a good place to start. When ambition exceeds satisfaction life tends to lose its footing.

it’s safe to say that one would be better off pursuing healthy levels of ambition where personal sanity and peace of mind are not compromised.

These self-reflective questions offer some perspective on things that we often lose sight of:

What in my life am I taking for granted?
What am I not celebrating or appreciating enough?
What would be enough for me to feel happy and fulfilled?

Soaking in gratitude helps stay centered and away from the nasty traps of comparison and the endless pursuit of more.

As Rainn beautifully puts it:

“As long as we are in the battle of trying to satisfy the ego, we will never be happy.”

The 3-second trick to save your relationships

Conversations can very easily turn into conflict when emotions take over and hijack our mouths.

Being reactive may feel like the only choice in the heat of the moment but the consequences of doing so are long-lasting and often negative.

Comedian Craig Fergusson has some stellar advice on how to combat this tendency…

Before you feel provoked to say anything, ask yourself these 3 questions:

1. Does this need to be said?

2. Does this need to be said by me?

3. Does this need to be said by me now?

Like any skill, mastering this needs practice.

With enough awareness and remembering to take pauses, this mental dialogue can be a lifesaver.

When life calls for inner work

Going through life feeling frustrated and agitated is not fun.

Here are 5 signs indicating it’s time for some inner work to do:

1.Being too quick to judge
2. Taking things personally
3. Struggle with managing temper
4. Avoiding difficult conversations
5. Receiving repetitive feedback that's hard to hear.

If any of this resonates I've got you.

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