Satisfaction Vs Contentment

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 say that there is a difference between satisfaction and contentment.

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

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

I believe that we should be content with where we are in life, which means that we accept where we currently are as a product of our choices so far. However, I believe that we should never be satisfied with where we are, which means 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 will certainly require that you choose to continually progress in life to achieve Your Vision and Destiny. Being stagnant in life and satisfied with where you are simply means that you are no longer growing. There is a saying, with which I totally agree, that we either grow or fall in life. When you choose to be content with your current circumstances for too long, you begin to die to yourself.

Your Purpose requires continual growth in life. He must continue to feed himself through excellent books and audios and attend excellent seminars to learn from those who have gone before him. He must continue to associate with those he believes are successful in their chosen field. After all, the saying “birds of the same plumage fly together” is very true. When you associate with other successful people, their way of thinking becomes your way of thinking. You’ll get valuable insights and you’ll be able to 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’d like to learn from? Or maybe you’ve reached a high level in your chosen career or job, but don’t have much time to do what you’d really like to do. Is it someone you’d 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 see it this way, if I am getting one step closer to my chosen goal, then I am successful. Sometimes success doesn’t show up the way I want it to and I need to re-evaluate what it looks like to me. I will punish myself for something I shouldn’t simply because I don’t see 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 Your Purpose, are you happy or satisfied?