How to Turn Discontent Around… And Be Glad You Did it Now!

It’s not always there… but when you feel it coming, its time to act before it accumulates. It’s called discontent. And here’s the main gist of why I’m writing to you today. You may be experiencing it now, or have in the past. Your discontent may or may not be a bad thing. In fact, your current discontent may be the road to freedom and even flourishing.

What? Come on Jeff! Really? My swollen lymph nodes last week… well, those were alerting me there was something going on. It was time to supercharge the vitamins, increase the rest and even try an herbal concoction Mindy picked up called “Kick-Ass Immune Activator.” Really? Discontent may means its NOW time to take action. When it comes to discontent, there’s a difference between “habits of hope” where we do whatever it takes to eliminate negativity, complaining and unnecessary whining (I’m Italian and from New Jersey! Need I say more!) However, at any given moment, you may experience discontent that may be getting you ready for a good next step. * In your career. * In your health * In your leadership progress * In your level of happiness * In your fulfillment of your purpose And you feel stagnant, stuck or even discouraged. The good news: Discontent can lead to the some of the best things in your life…. IF you take the right action. Thomas Edison said, “Restlessness is discontent — and discontent is the first necessity of progress.” The poet Milton even described the term “a divine discontent” Whenever you’re not living in our authentic place, you experience divine discontent. It’s telling you you’re not growing, your stuck or you’re dying. For example, how many people wait to get fired from a job before realizing they’re living in an unhappy, unfulfilled and less-than authentic place? And when they get fired, they then experience “the blessing” that changed things for the good! I know too many people who work so, so hard and experience incredible frustration in the wrong job, when the simple answer to their discontent is this… “It’s time to do something else!” Go to a different place. Move on." Whenever you feel discontent about things that were once OK, even worried or uneasy about any part of your life, it’s a signal that there’s something wrong. It’s a message that there’s something that you need to address or deal with. Other symptoms of divine discontent can include an inability to sleep. You feel nervous or figity. You get angry with others easily, including yourself. Little things get to you. And just like the nerve in your finger telling you that stoves hot, your mind, body and emotions sensing discontent may be offering you the guidance to take the action that may change things for great good. Discontent is to your life as pain is to your body. It’s sending a messenger to tell you that what you’re doing is wrong for you. This divine discontent may just be EXACTLY what you needed to make the life change you need to make. If you were just perfectly satisfied you wouldn’t do anything…. and doing nothing would leave the status quo as the status quo. If you’d like to go deeper, let me encourage you to write your answer to these three questions to address discontent… divine or not sure if it’s divine. (these are the kinds of questions you may want to write in a journal) Here are three questions to turn discontent around 1. When are you perfectly content? In the zone? Free to be you? “Flying” even? 2. In what situations/areas are you not content? (the status quo’s not working) 3. What can you do to make a real change to make the area of discontent become an area of great contentment? (What’s one next step?)