Step 2: Identifying the Causes of Dissatisfaction
You're doing good! Keep going!
Once you admit to yourself that there truly is something bothering you, you have to pinpoint what that something is! This might be the most difficult part, but if you master this one, you can be proud that you have gained a deeper understanding of yourself.
I propose two approaches to finding the reasons for you lack of “appetite for life”.
1.Working your way back from your feelings towards your problems.
Make a mental list of all those bad feelings and see if you can’t find where they originate from. For example, although I do all the work for college that I have assigned, I still feel like I work too little. I was much prouder of myself when I could barely cope with the work load, but still managed to pull it off. Therefore, I conclude that my work is not challenging enough. I don’t get a sense of satisfaction if my accomplishment is trivial.
Think of those bad feelings and try connecting possible reasons. Eventually, you’ll come up with the right causes.
Asking these questions might also help: Have I always felt like this? When did this feeling start? What was different before that?
2.Going backwards from possible problems to related feelings.
This is more a trial and error tactic. And you’ll have to rely on your gut! Think of possible problems. Pick random parts of your life that might be the cause, meditate on them a little and see how your emotions react to those thoughts. Is thinking about your weight making your heart beat slow to a crawl? Then that might be one of your problems! Also think of hypothetical situations. How does the thought of working for another company make you feel? Do you get a rush just by picturing yourself 10 pounds lighter?
I noticed I felt miserable when I came home to an empty apartment. The thought of having someone here instantly put a smile on my face. And to make things even clearer, while my boyfriend stays with me I don’t have a care in the world. Cloud 9! That’s where I am! So obviously, a root problem that’s causing me discomfort is living alone.
Once you identify the causes, you’re ready to move on to solutions.
- October 4th, 2009
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Now, if I could just get up...
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Hi, bodywit.com – da best. Keep it going!
Thanks
Nadine
Well thank you! I intend to keep it up.
Some things in life change, some are ment to be soulbound, slowly burning an endless flame in one’s heart. Try as you might to put out the flame, with 5 steps, 10 steps, a million steps – the result will be the same. Live the present by viewing your future, and learning from your past, things many people forget to do, and end up living in the future witouth having a present, only a burned-down vision of the past.
Very nicely said, but you shouldn’t just give up and be sad forever. Happiness is your choice. It is sometimes very hard, but you have to learn to accept what ever happened, and live with it without being affected by it. Changing how you feel is one of the most hardest things. But living your entire life with a cloud over your head is even harder!
great insight. are you sure you are only 19?
Yup. That’s what my mom tells me…