That is true in a sense, but it doesn't always have to be. If we stopped searching for the ever elusive (fill in what you are seeking here), would life not become stagnant? And while many may never be satisfied with anything once they acquire it, that is a choice. While life doesn't always give us what we want, and sometimes delivers us life-altering smacks upside the head...we can choose to find contentment with what we have, where we are, despite all but the most extreme circumstances. It isn't necessarily that we are "satisfied", but that we can choose to find comfort in the ordinary.
I don't have a dishwasher, many tell me they couldn't live without theirs. To me, a mindless activity like doing dishes is calming. I look outside and watch the birds as I reflect on things, think about solutions to problems I am facing, or just let my mind wander where it will. When I am finished, I am more relaxed. Sometimes I have worked out what to do about a thorny issue, or come to a major decision, or maybe I just laughed at the birds antics outside or enjoyed the sunset or the snow-laden trees. I recall years ago, a friend told his coworkers to quit complaining, a job is a job, it takes up your time and you get paid for it. It made me think. People go to jobs they hate every day to get money to spend on things they often end up dissatisfied with. I made the decision to enjoy myself at work. We spend a great deal of our lives there to pay for things that often disappoint or only offer fleeting gratification. At any rate, I have learned that while I used to always rush through unpleasant or tedious tasks, when I slow down and make myself present in the moment, appreciating what I do have, rather than worrying about what I don't have, what I may lack seems far less important.
Our culture just isn't geared this way. From the time kids can talk, people ask them what they want to be when they grow up. Schools are often regimented and gearing kids up very early on to decide what they want to be...I've heard it called their "school career" nowadays. Even their free time is scheduled with lessons and activities and "play dates". Everything is about competition and consumerism. And it is drilled into kids from the time they are toddlers.
Cable TV and the internet only reinforce and further it all. News is on 24/7, everything is posted on Twitter and FB in real time, and your phone will give you a Push notification of it all instantly. Everywhere you go are advertisements. TVs in waiting rooms and bars and at gas pumps, pushing us to acquire, to be informed, to compete, to succeed...to conform.
I guess I was lucky in that I wasn't raised that way. I was also blessed to work for years with my Dad. He had a shop and worked long hours. When I went to work with him, I soon ended up working 14-hour days, too, and it was hard work. But just about the time I'd be hot and tired or frustrated, he'd start a water fight, or tell me a joke, or enlist me in a prank. And after we closed, we'd often just hang at the shop, tip a few beers and BS. He shared things with me I will always treasure. He worked long hours, but the shop was next door to my grandma's and in front of our house. He did it so he could take care of all of us and be right there with and for us, and we had the run of the shop as kids, too.
I guess some of him rubbed off on me. And that, WW, is probably the only way we can get others on board...we just have to show them...we just need to rub off on them. :)
This post was edited by Bozette at May 15, 2017 9:54 PM MDT
