Thanks for the comment, though. Eric

We in the west have a pretty messed up happiness-requirement default. Waking up alive with all my senses intact and my loved ones near does it for me most days – everything else is a bonus.

Thought-provoking post, Jeremy! Nice choice Eric!

“We talk about contentment, but we don’t really want it. We always want more. It seems to be part of the human condition.”

So let’s not try to change that human nature. Let’s make it work for everyone.

Stephen – Rat Race Trap’s last blog post..How to Be Successful by Believing in Your Dream

Eric, thank you for giving me the opportunity to guest post. It has been a pleasure. Thank you all for reading and leaving a comment if you did.

@ Writer Dad – I’m right there with you. Forget about balance and just enjoy the journey.

@ Jake – Focusing on improving others’ lives often improves our own. It is a paradox, but one that is proven true on a daily basis around the globe.

@ Mark – I love that quote. I have heard it before and I love it when it is used. Bill Cosby is a wise man. I am a natural people pleaser but I am slowly overcoming that.

@ Marc and Angel – But it is so hard to relax sometimes! I guess maybe its just in my character. I do truly believe in deep breathing exercises though.

@ Bamboo Forest – Content with what we have now, but not content with me we might have in the future. I’m right there with you, but I’m starting to believe that this constant search for improvement may not be right. Especially if its just improvement just for improvements sake. Its much better just to align your values with your actions and proceed from there. The practice itself will help you improve.

@ Dimitar – I agree! Yet, knowing what can and can’t be changed is the hard part. Sometimes we delude ourselves into thinking something can be changed when it can not. And sometimes we sell ourselves short by thinking something can’t be changed when it can. hmmmmm…..

@ Kent – Thank you for digging this quote up. It is a good one. You probably know I have written about Frankl before. I love his writing and his experience speaks magnitudes. I think it should be required reading for high school students. I think the whole “Don’t aim for success” idea could be a post in and of itself. hmmmm… I see a new post coming soon….

@ Laurie – I don’t think I could have summarized my post any better than you just did with your comment! Thank you!

Cheers,
Jeremy

Jeremy Day’s last blog post..Glorious Snowfall

I enjoyed your post – thank you!

Laurie | Express Yourself to Success’s last blog post..Do We Have to Say What’s on Our Minds?

I’ll let Frankl’s own words speak to this point better than I:

“Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you will miss it. For success, like happiness, can not be pursued; and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see — in the long run, I say! – success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think of it.” ~ Viktor Frankl

Kent @ The Financial Philosopher’s last blog post..Are Financial Plans Illusions?

Dimitar Nikolov’s last blog post..17 Basic Happiness Needs

The problem you mentioned is what I call the perfectness syndrome. Trying to achieve ultimate balance and to be the perfect human being is impossible and only leaves to a deep depression.

The key is understanding what can and what can’t be changed. Then the only way to self improvement is changing what you can and being able to live with what you can’t change.

I wrote about it recently in my blog. It’s good to head for the best, but only when it’s possible.

Thanks for the interesting article.

I believe we should strive to be content with our life.

At the same time, I believe we should strive to constantly rise to the next level and then the next level and so on.

Bamboo Forest – PunIntended’s last blog post..Why Do People Clap in Movie Theatres?