#2 on my, 99 Life Tips – A List is: Do Not Ignore Your Discontent. Identify and Embrace It.

The importance of this cannot be overstated, because the springboard of all motivation is discontentment. No one who is at perfect, nirvana-like, blissed-out peace, is motivated to do anything. Toward what end? Blissed out peace is the end of the journey. Discontent is the impulse needed to begin the journey. It is the grain of sand in the oyster that can turn into a pearl once identified, worked on, and transformed.

Your particular feelings of unease and dissatisfaction are unique to you. So, do not ignore your discontent. The irritants are signals, prompts, pressures, and triggers towards meaningful change. So, whatever that thing is that is bugging you: sit with it, analyze it, dig deeply into what is really bothering you. For your own sake, don’t attempt to drown your discontent with drugs, drink, or distraction, either. The disquiet might be temporarily numbed, but it won’t go anywhere by that method. 

On the other hand, a full embrace and acknowledgement of the gnawing unease is your doorway to peace of mind. The process of discovering exactly what is bothering you, and why, will give you self-knowledge that is at least as valuable as the knowledge of what makes you happy. And it will give you a ready made boundary to keep it out of your life for good. Embrace your discontent and work on it, this is where true beauty comes from.