95. The unsatisfied soul

is a good thing.

You can often shy away from negative emotions.

Sadness, anger, unsatisfaction- they are surely all negative.

And sure this can be true, but there is always more than one option.

You can choose to capitalise on that emotion.

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way”- Marcus Aurelius

Not only that- I would argue that deep dissatisfaction is a super-power.

Think about areas in your life where you hope to create change.

What do they all hold in common..? You don’t like the current state of events.

That negativity is stirring a desire for you to change your situation.

Comparatively, things that are all good and peachy are very hard to move from due to how comfortable they are.

“If there is dissatisfaction with the status quo, good. If there is ferment, so much the better. If there is restlessness, I am pleased. Then let there be ideas, hard thought, and hard work. If a man feels small, let man make himself bigger”- Hubert H. Humphrey

The dilemma in this regard comes- how do you protect yourself?

Enabling yourself to get down can lead to a path of harsh pessimism.

You could become so unsatisfied and disgruntled with the world that you become insular and removed.

I have and continue to, wrestle with this.

The only answer I have come to in regards to this is in reaching out to people.

I originally believed that hanging out with people had to be consistent with my ‘life plan' or be ‘super serious’- but actually, it is quite the opposite. As someone who is unsatisfied regularly, I often overthink the value within conversations, however, to get vulnerable and shift your perception of value through conversing with others you get to subside overriding dissatisfaction.

You don’t have to enjoy it, contribute much, or even be ‘intellectually stimulated’. Just recognise that people with their unique and different perspectives will be able to get you out of your head and not all consumed.

“Someone has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passers-by see nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney and then go on their way”- Vincent Van Gogh

The encouragement with all of this is to recognise that the hardship and mental turmoil you may be feeling is not a negative thing. Instead, it is pointing to your gifts, talents, and yearning to make a great change in the world.

There, however, are times to lean into this pain and other times you simply cannot trust your brain.

You must grow in self-awareness to discern these nuances and then ask for help when needed.

Step out and utilise this unique calling, the unsatisfied soul is a good thing.

“Unhappiness and dissatisfaction with life are not signs of mental illness, but of growing intelligence”- Ken Wilber