The Art Of Being Satisfied With Yourself Is Priceless

To be satisfied with yourself – that is priceless. This art, this psychological craft, requires two achievements: reconciling with the past in order to put an end to disappointments experienced, and not obsessing over the future in order to allay fears. Above all, feeling good means learning to follow healthy thought patterns and to focus on the present, in which one can shape one’s inner peace in such a way that it cannot be disturbed by anyone.

I am sure we all agree with these statements. But why is it so difficult for us to find this inner balance, where we feel perfect, where we can enjoy what we have and what sets us apart? Like it or not, there is always something that goes wrong, something that bothers us and prevents us from experiencing lasting well-being, well-being that doesn’t run away in our hands and is constant no matter whether there is wind or tide.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to change you is the greatest success of all.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Psychologists have always tried to make this goal attainable. But it was a complex matter from the start. For a long time the only attempt was made to understand pathological processes. It was not until the late 1970s that people like Martin Seligman or Aaron T. Beck triggered an inspiring change: Martin Seligman, known for his studies of depression and learned helplessness, felt it was necessary to concentrate research on a new aspect, namely happiness. Aaron T. Beck, on the other hand, a pioneer in cognitive therapy, taught us that  a certain positive filter is necessary in order to feel good about yourself. This filter has to be applied when looking outward … and inward as well.

Acceptance, the key to personal wellbeing

Epictetus said in his handbook of morals that people often insist that life be as they wish. This is an almost childlike need that is impossible to meet. Therefore, it often creates frustration. That is why the most famous stoic of his day recommended that we simply learn to wish things the way they are and see them as they are.

The art of being satisfied with yourself is therefore nothing more than the practice of acceptance. However, acceptance is not synonymous with passivity or resignation. The trick is that we put our efforts into a number of successes:

• Accept the negative side of things as soon as they happen in order to take control and bring about change. For example, it is important that we can quickly become aware of our limiting and negative thoughts before they completely dominate our minds and goals.

To be satisfied with yourself means knowing how to practice some kind of acceptance in which we are in control of our thoughts. It can always happen that what surrounds us, and even the people who are part of our closest environment, do not act as we would like. But none of this should annoy us, because when there is calm within us, when self-love and balance dominate, there is no cloud behind which our sun can hide.

Be satisfied with yourself – the art of personal appreciation

We achieve all of this through adequate personal appreciation, which means that we have to feel that we are part of everything we do and should be satisfied with everything we do. In this way, as we have already discussed, we gain more control over our thoughts. Now is the time to learn to value ourselves through our daily practice and practice.

Here some examples:

• To be satisfied with yourself means to be chosen by the people we choose to be part of our journey.
• It also means being consistent with what we say and do, what we want and what we want.