The Secret to Overcoming Dissatisfaction and Discouragement

Written by Jimmie Burroughs

“Dissatisfaction and discouragement are not caused by the absence of                              things but the absence of vision.” –Anonymous

Dissatisfaction and Discouragement are found in all levels from those in poverty to the wealthy, from the obscure to the famous, but none of those conditions is the cause. So, what is the cause and what is the secret to overcoming dissatisfaction and discouragement? The cause is a lack of personal vision, and the cure is creating a personal vision. Why is vision so important to the state of well being? It defines one’s purpose and reason for being alive. Life without purpose and reason falls into the abst of dissatisfaction and discouragement regardless of what the circumstances of life may be otherwise. That being the case, how does a person create vision?

Five Important things to creating a personal vision:

1.      Know exactly who you are.

First, knowing exactly who you are isn’t always an easy matter. The reason is that, over time, the authentic self has been hidden beneath a layer of facades. So, how is one to rediscover exactly who they are? It’s like peeling an orange. You have to peel off the outer layer to get to the real fruit. In a personal application, this may require a different way of speaking, a different look, a different way of thinking and acting. It may sound easy just to change those things, but it isn’t easy to change years of habit. Usually facades have been acquired over the years in order to fit in or win approval, but they mask the real person that you are. Nothing is superior to your authentic self, and finding out exactly who your authentic self is, is the first step to creating a personal vision that reveals your purpose in life.

2.   Know what you want to become.

The next step in creating your personal vision is to know what you want to become. One of my favorite quotes:  “I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can’t find anybody who can tell me what they want,”– Mark Twain. You may already know that what you’re presently working at isn’t what you’re supposed to be doing, but neither are you sure what it really is that you are supposed to be doing. A person from a family of doctors may be encouraged to follow the family tradition and become a doctor. After years of medical school, they discover that they are miserable being a doctor, but what then? It isn’t easy to walk away and start new. The time to create your personal vision is when you’re young. May I add a personal note: The things I teach on personal development aren’t things you learn in school, but should be because they are the things you need to know to help you form a solid personal vision. No one else can do this but you. In fact, for example, others may think you’re crazy when you tell them that you want to be a foreign missionary when you could easily become doctor and make a very good living rather than living in some third world country with less than the standard conveniences of life. Once again, it is not about things, it is about finding your purpose in life. The desire that you have in your mind may not be the same desire your parents and friends have in mind for you. The question is whose living your life anyway, them or you.

3.   Decide what gives your life purpose and meaning and then focus on that.

“What’s highest and best for you is always what’s highest and best for everyone around you,” –Maria Foreleo. Aim high lest you wind up shooting in the mud. It may seem impossible, to you, to reach your dream because it is so big, but remember your dream is not only about you but also about others all around you. You are helping them also to reach their dream.

You may think that you can accomplish very little since you are just one person among billions. Consider this quote: “Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills — against misery, against ignorance, or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world’s great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant reformation; a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France. It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and 32 year old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that all men are created equal. ‘Give me a place to stand,’ said Archimedes, ‘and I will move the world.’ These men moved the world, and so can we all.” -Robert F. Kennedy.

I’ve done jobs in my life from necessity that had no real purpose. They were just a means of making financial ends meet.  That’s OK if it is necessary, but it shouldn’t stop you from preparing and searching for your real purpose.

4.   Don’t settle for less than what your vision requires.

Brainstorm, dream and search until you find your real purpose. It may take years or even most of your life, but never stop or give up until you reach your dream. Grandma Moses started her vision at 80 years of age and immediately became successful. I do not suggest that you wait that long, but then again don’t let your age slow you either. Colonel Sanders started Kentucky Fried Chicken at age 65. Don’t let complacency rule in your life. Complacency is the opposite of vision; it is just taking whatever comes along without trying to better you. It’s easy to settle into a 40 hour job, come home and watch TV until bedtime, get up the next day and repeat the same over and over, day after day until life is used up and you have completely missed your calling.

5.   Never limit yourself and your dreams.

Consider this quote “If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise,”

— Robert Fritz. The mind sometimes becomes our enemy. It tells us that what we want to accomplish is impossible, that we are not equipped to do it. Remember, although we have a mind, we are not a mind. The mind is just part of the overall entity that makes us who we are. The mind is not to be allowed to control; we are to control it. Not all those things your mind is telling you are necessarily true. If your mind is telling you that you cannot reach your dreams, it is wrong, don’t listen.

Conclusion:

It’s time to get started on your personal vision. It is too important to delay another day.  Life is too short to procrastinate on this important issue. If you happen to be thirty and are wondering how you got there so fast, better buckle your seat belt because the next thirty years are going to be much faster. That does not mean that you have to rush. It usually takes a considerable amount of time to hone your vision to where you want it. A good way to start is by making a list of things that you are interested in, and then select from it the top things that interest you. From there, you can use your own logic in determining which best suits you, and which is best for the long haul, and how much preparation it is going to take to get started. What is important is to get started now.

If this article has been a help to you, please share it with others.

Further reading:  “3 Ways to get people to like you in 60 Seconds or Less”

About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a motivational speaker and author who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website (Website Contents) in your personal growth.

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