I wake up this morning and the first thing I read is this quote from Bob Marley.
“Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?” ~ Bob Marley
I realize it’s a question that is truly meant for me. Am I satisfied with my life?
The answer: What does satisfaction mean?
I discuss this with José who thinks that no one in the world is really satisfied. According to him, the moment a person is satisfied with her life, she will begin to vegetate. I agree with his thinking at some levels. However, deep within me I do believe it’s possible to be satisfied with your life.
I now begin to think about this question even more. Then, suddenly, I’m drawn to a book that I had read years ago – Pathfinders by Gail Sheehy, also the author of Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life.
There I find what Sheehy calls the ten hallmarks of of well-being:
1. My life has meaning and direction
2. I have experienced one or more important transition in my adult years, and I have handled these transitions in an unusual, personal, or creative way.
3. I rarely feel cheated or disappointed by life.
4. I have attained several of the long-term goals that are important to me.
5. I am pleased with my personal growth and development.
6. I am in love; my partner and I love mutually.
7. I have many friends.
8. I am a cheerful person.
9. I am not thin-skinned or sensitive to criticism.
10. I have no major fears.
I first read this book in my early thirties, almost 15 years ago. I can honestly say that I’ve moved up the well-being scale quite a bit since then. Re-visiting these points, I have now marked out some areas that I definitely need to work on:
- My long term goals – that book better get written
- More focus on my personal growth – sticking to following a regimen
- Developing a thick skin! I often take feedback very critically.
I’m opening my eyes and looking deep within. The end of another year seems so appropriate to do that.
What about you? Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?
Yes,I am satisfied but I am not.I feel,if I rest on the word ” Satisfied” I will stop living though I may continue to exist.
For me to be satisfied in life,a lot has to happen in personal life,in Profesional life of daiy basis.
B k Chowla recently posted..FAIR DEMAND
I understand what you are saying, Mr Chowla. Like my husband, you feel that the moment we think we’re ‘satisfied’ we’ll start to vegetate. Thank you for sharing.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..The Call: Perfect Dream, Imperfect Life
My life is golden, Corrine. I can agree w/all of the above Gail Sheehy statements.
–Love my job!
–I have the single best friend I’ve EVER had.
–Having been writing and submitting fiction for about fifteen years of my life helped me develop teflon. I don’t suffer criticism.
–I no longer hold grudges.
–I’m an extremely positive person
I understand what you’re saying about satisfaction equaling complacency. Let me give an example:
W/my writing, when I was writing fiction, I became complacent because I was satisfied w/what I was writing. I took my gift for granted and taking it for granted was a HUGE mistake, because I lost my desire for what I was writing and I stopped for about ten years. Satisfaction equals Complacency.
In 2010 I started blogging and I found my gift again. Now I’m chasing satisfaction. Check out the Itch:
http://cjpwisdomandlife.com/2010/12/19/the-itch/ for more on this.
I never want to catch it for fear of also wrestling with complacency again.
Chris Jennings Penders recently posted..Yoga
Thanks for sharing, Chris. I believe you do get my dilemma about whether we should learn to be satisfied with what we have and yet not be complacent. At many levels I feel satisfied with my life and at some levels I don’t want to be! 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..The Keys
I thought I wasn’t (yet) satisfied with my life, but after going through Sheehy’s list, it turns out I am! 🙂
AJ recently posted..Just a Little Touch of the Imeldific
Aren’t you lucky, AJ? You owe me for helping you realize that you are satisfied! 😉
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..The Call: Perfect Dream, Imperfect Life
Satisfied is a strange word. I am where I need to be in my journey–have not yet attained all or even much…but I know I am on the path. Thats my only consolation. Am definately better than before in many areas you have mentioned and yet have not even become aware of some of the other issues.
You’ve put it really well, Bhavana. I feel pretty much the same way – a knowledge and gratitude that I am were I am meant to be and yet a long for more. You’re right – satisfaction is a strange word, which is why I said I don’t really know what it means!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..A Rebel Chick Mystic’s Guide
I am not satisfied. I am just coming alive now, the metamorphosis is happening. I want to unravel myself and see where I go from here.
Thank you for sharing, Janaki. I appreciate your honesty. The important thing is that you have started your journey and beginning to bloom. ♥
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..9 Inexpensive Updates To Make Your Kitchen Shine
I’m gonna go with No. I know what goals I had in life and moments where I have gone wrong… I feel I have finished a significant and essential ( if perhaps brutal ) learning curve and am now ready to become what I was meant to be.
Roshan R recently posted..An anthology of love stories by Indian authors
Thank you for sharing, Roshan. I went through similar times a few years back and so I can completely identity with what you are saying. Perhaps it is these times of absolute ‘dissatisfaction’ that makes us go back to what we are meant to be?
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..5 Surefire Ways To Get Her The Christmas Present She Actually Wants
This post is going on my Pinterest account… so that I can reassess where I am at regular intervals as time goes by 🙂
Thanks, Roshan. I’m taking that as a compliment, even if you didn’t mean it to one! 😉
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..The Call: Perfect Dream, Imperfect Life
I dont know if I am satisfied but I agree to some of the points. I need to still go further on this journey called life to evolve more to say I am completely satisfied. But up to this point I think I have handled life well and become who I am today, a better person.
rimly recently posted..Breaking
I understand what you are saying, Rimly. I think none of us are completely satisfied. But isn’t it wonderful that we’re all working on what we have to become the persons we were meant to be?
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..A Rebel Chick Mystic’s Guide
Hi, Corinne! ~
To some extent I agree with your hubby. As human beings I don’t believe we are meant to be satisfied, evolution (if nothing else) always pulls us forward toward something more. Although, it’s a bit of a paradox because we need to feel some level of contentment or we’re always chasing after life and never truly enjoying it. This would have been a perfect topic for a blog hop!
I like Gail Sheehy’s list and I was feeling pretty smug till I got to the end — haha! Like you, I can be thin-skinned (although I’m improving every day!) and I do have some major fears. I may have to take issue with that last one, in fact, because I think any intelligent person will have major fears. The key is not to let fears control us. That I’m pretty darn good at 😉
Love this post — would like to share at https://www.facebook.com/DangerousLinda
Dangerous Linda recently posted..grab the bull by… whatever you can!
Most days I think I’m completely satisfied with life, Linda. But then there’s that buzz within that makes me want to create more and do more. I’m not sure what Gail Sheehy feels about that? What do you think?
Like you said, most ‘normal’ people have fears. So long as they’re not crippling us, that’s okay, is what I think too.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Sign Up For Self-Love
Hi Corinne,
I enjoyed your post because it got me thinking about how satisfied I am with life. I’m definitely making progress. When I consider where I was 10 years, I’ve made huge progress in terms of developing confidence and raising my self-esteem. The area I would like to focus more on is on developing non-attachment to the outcome of events and situations. I want to develop further the middle ground of balance and clarity.
Hiten recently posted..More Empowering Attitudes
Great post! I read that book a long time ago along with some other books she wrote but I don’t remember this list. I have some areas that I have been successful in and others that I still work hard on. Should we be satisfied? I believe we should not be complacent. I love setting and achieving goals. I love moving forward in doing things I love. I suppose for some people though being satisfied might actually be a goal. For me being satisfied is an indication I’ve achieved one goal and it’s time to set another.
Interesting list Corinne… I realized I need to work on 3-9-10 the most!
Though yes there are some long term goals which I had thought I would achieve by now but the ratio is very less to the ones I have achieved so I am happy. I am glad I discovered writing 2 years back and met some wonderful people like you for that has given me a wonderful direction. There is no time to mull over the past of the bad things as I am constantly thinking as to what to write !
I don’t know if satisfied is the right word but yes I am happy about the way my life is right now and am striving to make it better with each passing day 🙂
I don’t know if I can use the word satisfied because that in my eyes would mean that I can sit back and relax. I am happy, definitely. I am also glad to I am able to chart my own destiny. I am in a happy place both personally and professionally. I want to see where the journey takes me :), and I look forward to achieving many more milestones.
Rachna recently posted..Quirky Travel Tales!
I echo Rachna’s thoughts. If one is satisfied with life, it means one can relax with no urge to improve oneself. One is learning everyday, from the experiences and revising responses and thoughts accordingly. I see it as a second chance for self improvement and for that I am grateful.
Very satisfied with life, Corinne, but certainly not sitting on the sidelines. I enjoy continuing to learn and grow through each experience God gives me. Great food for thought here as always!
Blessings!
Martha Orlando recently posted.."Rudolf With Your Nose so Bright . . ."
Great article!! Feeling some disappointments in recent years which have left me a bit less cheerful and thin skinned…otherwise, i’m in good shape with the list!
Carl Mason-Liebenberg recently posted..One Body, One Life: Extreme Body Transformation
Like you, I’ve moved up the scale. I was especially struck by #10 about having no major fears. That was certainly not true for much of my life, but is now, thank goodness. I respectfully disagree with your husband because I feel deeply satisfied with my life now. That doesn’t mean that I’m stagnant. I continue to move and grow and explore. But it does mean that live in contentment. There is nothing more I need to make me happy or fulfilled. This was a wonderful reflection–thank you.
Galen Pearl recently posted..Looking Back, Looking Ahead, and Thank You
I think that on the most part I am pretty content. No one is perfect so I definitely have areas that need work to be completely content. Very thought provoking post!
Kathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com
Kathy recently posted..Off to Hogwarts!!
Hmm..satisfied and me never go together. There are some moments though, which I can say I was/am satisfied. But not always..:(. Many times, I wish I was more easily satiable person. I know I have got few of the things listed, but cannot get some things..because, certain things are not under my control. But then, when one is satisfied with what one has, there won’t be any other problems in the world, right? 🙂
Latha recently posted..Me and My Darling – 5
No. I am not satisfied, but I believe in the possibilities yet to come. I believe God has a plan for the rest of my life w/out Kay. I believe. I believe my life is no longer my own…
This makes me somewhat satisfied. Xx
My Inner Chick recently posted..I Fall
I do agree that satisfaction is in a way stagnation. We all need a movement. I am satisfied if I am moving I am growing. So maybe yes I am satisfied. This year started off with a few games which were difficult and all looked like lost cases. I gave up on one and I won it! I accepted another and thats my victory! I fought and am fighting the third one for what is rightfully mine. After reading your post I pushed myself to put another effort. One has to never quit trying and asking. Its who gets tired first and I am not planning to get tired yet!
So thanks
I feel satisfied and dissatisfied in parts. I am yet to establish a career for myself. Sometimes I wonder about my calling. When I glanced through the list you have given, I was nodding through and through but still somewhere something is there to be filled. You’ve got me thinking over and over.
Joy always,
Susan
Good question. Imho satisfaction is very subjective and each one’s definition of it will be different. I dream big but I simply go with the flow – life takes me where I need to go and gives me the events I need to experience. So the measure of satisfaction is simply non existent.
Suzy recently posted..Blogfest – Destiny
Indeed a very deep question. In some sense yes … in another, not quite. I need to work on that one thing so if I die the next day, I would be totally satisfied.
Very meaningful post, Corrine!
Journey of Life recently posted..Journey to the Philae Temple
Interesting question Corinne!
I feel satisfaction is a state of mind. Sometimes we are satisfied and at other times we aren’t, so for me it’s a combination of both, though most of the time I remain happy and satisfied. Honestly speaking, if we want to be happy and satisfied, we can. And there are so-so many reasons for being so, isn’t it?
Thanks for reminding us about them too. 🙂
Harleena Singh recently posted..5 Ways to be Courageous
Hi Corinne
Wonderful question.
I have learned how to be grateful for what I have. I learned that happiness comes from within. But satisfied, not at all. If you had asked me at 18 where would I see myself by now, it is a far cry from what I imagined. That is not saying that an 18 year old has any idea of what life should be. But bad choices and stupid decisions has definitely not put me on the path I had seen for myself.
We become who we believe we are and for that reason I am stepping up mindset for success. Success to some can be totally different than others. I took this test the other day and learned the real aspects of success.
But how we measure success will also probably determine how satisfied we are. Although I am no where near what I had envisioned, even 5 years ago, my whole perspective of life and purpose has done a total 180 degree turn around.
What I discovered was it is not about us at all, but about what we contribute to the world. When you bring value to your life then value comes to you. Of course this is just my opinion on the subject. This is probably not so in all cases, but maybe it is what is inside of each one of us. The real place where success and satisfaction reside together.
Your list is a great measure to how we might judge satisfaction.
Mary
Mary Stephenson recently posted..Are Events In Our Lives Predestined?
At the moment, well, with work, kind of ~ but we’re still hoping for a raise by next year after our plan to have our journal indexed …
with kids, well, I’m still looking forward to my teenager to have his communion (most probably by January 2013, finally, I really hope)… and if things get better to have a more regular sched with them…
with love life, I have to erase a few things from my VB and well, perhaps, make myself more visible like wearing bright colors all the time LOL!
with my family, to have our house painted and re-decorated… geez! It’s like I’m listing some plans and resolutions…
with my inner life, to be more faithful with my prayer time and life with Christ…
Am I satisfied? Not completely yet…