I have postponed writing this post for only God knows how long. I think it’s time I finally shared my take on Satisfaction, the theme of the month.
The way I see satisfaction, there’s a thin barrier separating it from contentment - The ability to be satisfied with what you have, or an achievement you’ve made. I think per definition, the two could be considered one and the same, but in my head I see a thin line separating them.
Many people have problems with satisfaction, and the most common reason I find is because most of them make comparisons a habit.
I’m not sure whether or not I remember correctly the African adage, but there’s some wise saying that goes something like “comparison is the killer of joy”.
People like to measure their growth and progress by using other people’s achievements as their standards, completely disregarding the fact that they’re two different people subjected to different factors which contribute to their individual growth.
It’s crazy how people steal their own happiness by comparing their lives with others. For one, the work input is not the same. But even if it were, several factors out of our control like luck and timing contribute immensely to success. That explains why and how the most hardworking people are not the most successful. It’s just life, and if we understood that, became more contented with the cards we’re dealt and try to find ways to use our cards to our advantage, we’d be better off.
But if people wanted to make comparisons at all cost, why not take a look at the people you’re doing better than? The people who you see clearly are working harder than you yet no where as successful. Or better yet, compare where you are now to where you were a year ago. That would be a real measure of your progress - You against you. Comparisons like this will help us appreciate what we have or have achieved more.
Before I joined Hive, I was on the verge of financial ruin. I don’t mean I lost a house and my car and entire life savings. It was just a little close to a thousand dollars, but that was everything I had at the time. I stumbled on Hive broken beyond…
But looking at myself now, I’m satisfied with the decision I made to stay here and put in the work because I’m a better person now not just in terms of my finance. I have a relatively reliable source of income than I did a year ago and I’m able to handle certain financial burdens on my own without having to call on anyone or seek for help. That is satisfaction. The ability to handle my shit myself.
It’s not just comparison though
For some people, their case is not about comparison. They’re not satisfied because they just can’t seem to have enough. This is the case for highly ambitious people. They’re just insatiable. Nothing they achieve is enough. Everything they idolize and strive to achieve doesn’t give them the kick they thought it would, and so their journey in pursuit for something fulfilling never ends. They aspire to get $1 reward on their posts and once they hit that mark, meh $1 is now suddenly too small and they want $5. But it doesn’t just end at $5.
I’m not in any way saying not to strive to achieve better, but that we should be appreciative of the little we get as we work to get more.
A lot of newbies on Hive have this problem with both too much expectation and ambition driven by their compulsive comparisons of who is doing (earning) better than them. In extreme cases, they get frustrated because the $50 account worth they were looking forward to doesn’t look good enough to them anymore.
I saw a video on a friend’s status last night talking about two kids, one with a full pizza missing just one piece and sad, and another with only a piece of a pizza but lit with joy. That clearly demonstrate contentment(or satisfaction). Focusing on what we have instead what we don’t.
I guess the basics all this boils down to is that we need to appreciate what we have, or have achieved no matter how small. Celebrating the small milestones and being content with our achievements is key and goes a long way to show we are satisfied, content and proud of ourselves.
All images in this post are mine and were taken by me on my iPhone 11 Pro Max.