Welcome to the Inspiration Rising podcast! My name is David Trotter, and we’re here to inspire you to rise up in your life, love, and leadership.
My question for you today is…are you satisfied with your life? When I ask myself that question, I can hear all sorts of voices in my head!
The Angry Coach voice says, “You should never be satisfied with your life. You should always be growing and taking ground.”
Then, there’s the Super Spiritual Sally who’s saying, “David, just relax and be satisfied in the moment.”
And, then, I can hear my Mom saying, “Let’s not get carried away with anything. Enjoy every day and make some progress when you can.”
When I’m able to quiet down those voices, I start to ask myself – not the Angry Coach or Super Spiritual Sally or my Mom or any other voices – I ask myself, “Are there areas of my life where I’d like to see growth?” The answer is an absolute “yes”.
How about you? Are there any areas of your life where you’d like to experience different results? My guess is that we’re together on this one.
And, yet, most of us don’t seek out growth in our lives unless our level of dissatisfaction reaches a point where it’s causing us pain.
- Until our job becomes so overwhelming…
- Until the relationships becomes so contentious…
- Until our doctor gives us a bad health report…
We don’t usually do much.
Instead of taking action, we do two things…
- We settle for something less than what we truly desire.
- We cover up our dissatisfaction.
What if we were honest with our dissatisfaction?
Just being honest about our level of dissatisfaction with an area of our life will help us get moving. I realize it’s hard to admit sometimes, because it means that you might have to actually make a change. There’s something comforting about not taking responsibility for our lives and just settling for what is rather than reaching for what could be.
The truth is that life dissatisfaction is the result of living an unintentional life.
If you’re dissatisfied with your life, I would venture to say you’re not being intentional in the way that will produce the results you’re looking for.
- If you aren’t satisfied with your physical condition, what are you doing about it?
- If you aren’t satisfied with your job, what are you doing about it?
- If you aren’t enjoying a relationship with your partner, what are you doing about it?
Being intentional in your thoughts, attitudes, and actions will result in life change and help you get unstuck. You’ll start moving. For most of us, just to get our lives moving in a different direction is a huge start.
Eleven years ago when I crashed and burned, I started thinking about The Big Seven – seven primary areas of life that are most important to me. I needed to take stock of my life and get really clear on what areas I needed to focus on. When things seem overwhelming or foggy or disjointed, it can be helpful to think through our lives in a systematic way rather than allowing our minds to swirl around and become overwhelmed. I’m going to walk you through The Big Seven and ask you some reflective questions to help you determine which area of your life you might want to focus on in the next few months.
- LIFE PASSIONS – strong interests that give you energy and bring your best to the world.
What are you truly passionate about in this life? Why?
Are you living out this passion on a daily basis as part of your vocation? Why or why not? - LIFE PARTNER – an intimate relationship with someone who deeply loves you.
If you’re single, do you long to be in an intimate relationship? If you do, what’s holding you back?
If you’re dating, do you believe that this is someone you want to spend the rest of your life with? Why or why not?If you’re married or in a committed partnership, do you have an intimate connection with your partner? What’s missing from your relationship? - COMMUNITY – a network of friendships that range from mere acquaintances to very close.
Who are the individuals willing to walk with you through life…no matter what?
What relationships seem to be more based on your performance? - FINANCES – your outlook and management of physical resources.
Do you feel like you have enough money and possessions? Why or why not?
Would you consider yourself a generous person? What are some recent examples? - CREATIVITY & PLAY – your ability to enjoy life and express your imagination.
How do you currently express creativity in and through your life?
How does playfulness play a role in your life on a regular basis? - PHYSICAL WELLNESS – the health of your body and mind.
Are you physically energized and full of life? Why or why not?
In what ways are you seeking to live a healthy lifestyle? - SPIRITUALITY – your connectedness to the Divine and awareness of God’s presence.
Is spirituality and faith a meaningful part of your daily life? Why or why not?
How are you intentionally connecting with God regularly? What results do you sense?
My guess is that your level of dissatisfaction has been raised in at least one of these seven areas, and that’s a good thing. By experiencing dissatisfaction, you have the chance to make a decision to become more intentional in that are of your life. Next week, we’ll talk about cultivating a hope for the future in these areas where you’re feeling dissatisfied, and I’ll help you take your next step.
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