247
Do you find yourself constantly turning your eyes away from what you have? Do you spend a lot of time comparing and ranking yourself against your co-workers, friends, and family members? Why do you do that?
Discontented people have a very difficult time getting ahead. That attitude of wanting what you don’t have is a little like getting stuck in the mud. You can’t move forward, and you can’t move backward. Instead, you spend your time watching everyone pass you by.
It takes a considerable amount of energy to be discontent with life. You can spend a lot of time wishing you were anyone but you, in any location other than where you are, doing anything but what you are presently doing. Does that sound productive? When you look elsewhere for satisfaction, you often miss the great things that surround you every day. You put your life on hold, and in a way you stop living and start watching other people live. Life is priceless, but you throw it away when you succumb to feelings of discontent.
When you start getting that itchy feeling of dissatisfaction, what can you do? Start by looking around you and making a quick list of the things for which you are grateful. Then take a mental inventory of where you can make immediate improvements. Is there more you can do to get the most out of your present situation? Take advantage of who you are today, and stop being envious of who you are not.
248
You read yesterday about how discontent can slow you down and keep you from achieving success. Today you are going to study a different interpretation. The quote above by Ella Wheeler Wilcox suggests that discontent breeds progress.
Sometimes that itchy, unhappy feeling of restlessness makes you just uncomfortable enough to get into action. When you are content, you may not have a reason to change for the better. You’re happy right where you are. But if you are nursing feelings of discontent, you want out. You want to be somewhere else—you are just disgruntled enough to work for something better. Some of the greatest achievements in history were direct results of someone’s discontent.
Compare the quote today to Norman Rockwell’s quote from Day 247. Write in your journal about the word discontent. What role does it play in your life? Does it help you to move forward and get things done, or does discontent give you a feeling of being stuck? You have to come up with your own unique answer to this question. Only you know the truth.
It’s important to know how you personally deal with your feelings. Discontent may be a terrific motivator for you, or on the other hand it could be a huge roadblock. When you are in tune with how you react to feelings of dissatisfaction, you can start to use those emotions as a tool for success rather than a hindrance.
249
How big a role does envy play in your life? Do you look at others and see traits that you wish you had?
Today you are going to tackle a personal issue. Are you content or are you discontent—with yourself? Sometimes the source of your dissatisfaction is you. Now that would be a bummer, wouldn’t it? You are the one thing you can’t escape! On the other hand, you are a unique and beautiful gift to the world. Stop trying to be what you are not, and start enjoying what you are.
Sometimes you see gifts that others possess, and it’s easy to forget that you have a treasure chest of your own. Mark was often envious of his younger sister’s singing ability. He could barely carry a tune. When he got stuck in that jealous place, he forgot that he was a genius with numbers. Maybe his younger sister was a songbird, but he had a different and equally beautiful gift.
