Satisfaction Vs Content

Are you satisfied with your life right now? Are you happy with your life right now? Is there a difference between the two? I would tell you that there is a difference between satisfaction and satisfaction.

The dictionary defines satisfaction as “the fulfillment or gratification of a desire, need, or appetite.” Define contentment as “satisfied with things as they are.”

The definitions sound very similar and many people would consider them the same and use them interchangeably. However, I see them in a slightly different light.

I think we should be content with where we are in life, which means that we accept where we are today as a product of our choices so far. However, I believe that we should never be satisfied with what we mean that we should always strive for greater achievements in our lives.

We may have a satisfaction for a moment (a day or two or whatever is appropriate for the achievement), but then we turn our gaze to the next goal in our lives.

Your purpose in life would certainly require you to choose to continually progress forward in life to achieve your vision and your destiny. That you get stuck in life and feel satisfied with where you are simply means that you are no longer growing. There is a saying, with which I fully agree, that we are either growing or declining in life. When you choose to be satisfied with current circumstances for too long, you start dying to yourself.

Your purpose requires continued growth in life. You must continue to feed yourself through excellent books and audios and attend excellent seminars to learn from those that have come before you. You must continue to partner with those you believe are successful in their chosen field. After all, the saying “birds of the same plumage fly together” is very true. When you interact with other successful people, their way of thinking becomes your way of thinking. You will get valuable ideas and can share ideas back and forth.

Who do you consider successful in life? In what areas are they successful? Is this success something you would like to duplicate? If someone has made a lot of money, but has a lousy family life, is that someone you would like to learn from? Or maybe, they have reached a high level in their chosen career or job, but don’t have much time to do what they would really like to do. Is it someone you would like to duplicate?

Ask yourself what you define as success. Earl Nightengale defined success as “the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal or idea.” I look at it this way, if I am taking one more step towards my chosen goal then I am successful. Sometimes success doesn’t look the way I want it to and I have to re-evaluate how it looks to me. I will punish myself for something I shouldn’t just because I’m not looking at it from the best perspective.

How do you define success? Once you’ve defined success, look for those that meet your definition. Learn from them. Emulate and duplicate what they have done. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done up to this point. When you want to create something new, you must learn from those who have gone before you and created what you want to create.

So, in pursuing His Purpose, are you satisfied or are you satisfied?