All of us sometimes feel the need to change something. In those moments we look for external changes that we hope will make us feel better. We want to buy something new, change jobs, replace our partner or our car. We keep searching for quick solutions to problems that often come from within.
Ask yourself honestly: do you really need a new car? Do you truly want to leave the job you have worked in for ten years and where you are actually successful? Or is the thing that bothers you coming from inside? Is it the boredom of routine? Or dissatisfaction with the direction of your life?
From my own experience I can say that it is almost always an inner issue. I struggle with it too and I have learned that you cannot solve it through external changes. Sure, the first feeling might be pleasant, but after a few months everything returns to where it was.
Humans are incredibly adaptable. We can get used to almost any environment, whether better or worse. In the end our sense of happiness settles back to a neutral level.
Imagine you get a promotion and your salary doubles. No matter how much you earned before, this increase will make you happy. For a few months you feel successful and appreciated. But then your satisfaction slowly returns to its usual level. The same things that annoyed you before start to bother you again.
Adaptability was a useful trait in the environment in which we evolved over thousands of years. But like every trait, it has a downside. It leads to dissatisfaction because human nature constantly pushes us to want more.
But how can you truly be content? When is enough really enough? The answer lies in a question from the book Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss:
Could it be that everything is already good and complete just as it is?
Try to answer this question for yourself. Could it be that everything is already good and complete just as it is? What would happen if you simply continued in your current job? What would you really miss if you didn’t buy anything? Maybe you will realize that these are only impulsive decisions. Maybe what you actually need is more adventure in your life. Then try bungee jumping or a parachute jump. Don’t try to fill the emptiness in your life with expensive things that force you to trade your precious time for money.
