Why You’re So Unsatisfied With Yourself (and What You Can Do About It)
Follow a simple blueprint to retake control of your brain
You’re the person you once wanted to be. Read that again.
I look at old pictures of myself and think, “Whoa, what was I thinking wearing that?” Maybe that’s a poor example, but the idea is that we are constantly evolving.
We don’t realize it. I wouldn’t wear the same shirt I wore three years ago, just like you don’t have the same haircut you had as a kid.
On a deeper level, we’re constantly growing, whether we like it or even notice. It’s easy to fall into the passion pit against ourselves because, in a given moment, things seem hella bleak sometimes.
If you feel like you're not where you should be, let’s talk about it.
You don’t work hard enough
Listen, I’m not a fan of “just do it” talk.
If you don’t have a car, it’s not a matter of just going to buy that car. It’s a matter of determining whether you’re willing to take on a payment you can or can’t afford.
Now, when I say you don’t work and enough, I mean it in a soft, I’m tossing a fluffy pillow gently at your feet kind of way. Let me give you an analogy.
If you were to run a mile right now, could you do it? If not, I bet you could if you trained for three weeks. Run a half mile twice during week one, a 3/4th mile twice during week two, and by week three, you’d have the stamina to push yourself to the entire mile.
The point is our bodies adapt to physical stimulation. At the same time, you train yourself mentally to go out and knock out the runs. Your mind and body are tuned for growth.
It’s a matter of putting in a percentage more effort into whatever you do every time you do it. Imagine if you do something 100 times a year and give 1% more effort each time you do it.
I don’t need to do the math. We both know you’d improve immensely.
You eat crap and feel like crap
I’m not saying you need to be Mr. Olympia.
Funny enough, professional athletes aren’t the healthiest people in the world. Bodybuilders diet themselves in painful fashions and pass away before their time because they push their bodies too hard.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you eat fast food most days, you will feel sluggish compared to the person who eats whole foods 90% of the time. I'm not saying you can’t live a happy life without some soul food. Bring it on! I just ate a whole pizza by myself, but that’s not my every day.
The way you treat yourself is regularly apparent on the outside. Your body projects what you put into it.
My point is what you eat has a direct effect on the way you look. If you’re unsatisfied with yourself, one reason could be your lifestyle choices, which cause you to feel a certain, negative way.
You compare yourself to others on social media
Influencers are 21st-century liars.
You should take everything you see on the internet with a grain of salt. Heck, I’m a culprit of social media manipulation in a way too. I post photos that I think look good, not those I believe would make people go WTF.
I mean, you don’t have to be an influencer to craft the online version of yourself you want others to see. Social media is a powerful tool until you let it influence you negatively.
You can quit your addiction to comparing yourself by locking your phone apps in the morning. Instead of wasting 20 minutes in bed and rolling into work by the hair of your chin, you can read the news or take an extra-long shower as a form of appreciation for yourself
Use the peak hours of the morning to get your tasks done for the day instead of endlessly scrolling through people’s feeds. They don’t matter. When you’re not feeling like the best version of yourself, the worst thing you can do is give other people your time.
When you’re unsatisfied with yourself…
Copy my methods
Never be satisfied.
Let me make this clear. There is a difference between being happy with what you have but not being content with where you’re currently at.
Before I moved out of my parents’ house, I had it all: a job, a cute dog, food on the table, and free rent. I could’ve lived there for the rest of my life.
But I’m 26, and I wanted something different.
There’s nothing wrong with living with your parents for as long as possible. Heck, there’s a case for living in your parents' house because it is the smartest thing a young person can do financially.
The idea of never being satisfied is one where you never stop growing. When you allow yourself to grow, you find new opportunities, meet new people, and make more money.
Every year becomes a time for reflection instead of regret. You think about the person you used to be and the person you want to become next. It’s cool when you think about it because if you’re never satisfied, you continually pursue the betterment of yourself.
So if you’re unsatisfied with yourself, find a way to help others.
Giving your time away to others is the ultimate form of respect for other people, as well as yourself. It’s the key to happiness, after all. It just feels better to give presents to people than it does to get them.
The golden rule comes into play. Call if karma if you want to. Good things come to those who do instead of waiting around for something to go to them.
Write this down: the only thing that will ever come to you is an idea. Like Elizabeth Gilbert says, ideas are not your own, so when one crosses your path, it’s up to you to seize the opportunity and make something of it.
The person you used to be may have sat on the couch and let an idea float on by. The current version of you put in 1% more effort every day, waiting for this moment.
Seize the day, every day, and you’ll become the person you once wanted to be.