Hi,

I probably don't know the circumstances behind why you're unhappy with the way things have been going. I also don't know how much these shortcomings mean to you. They could be no big deal or they could be what keeps you up at night. Regardless of the meaning or the severity, the feeling of dissatisfaction never truly leaves us; it always lingers in the back of our minds, taunting us.

And that's okay.

For as long as I can remember I've wanted more out of my life than what I've been doing. I've lived in one of the largest cultural hubs in the world and barely made an effort to see any of it. I hadn't spoken to people I cared about because I didn't know whether or not it would be "weird" to hit them up after so long. I know how frustrating it feels to wonder what could have gone better or what opportunities I've missed by being myself. Only recently have I actually tried to do something about my dissatisfaction, and for me, the first step was a very small one.

Every time my mind started to brood over some part of life I haven't done or some awful quality about myself, all I would do is add the word "yet."

"I don't have the work ethic to reach the school of my dreams.. yet."

"I haven't made an impact on the people around me... yet."

"I'm not a good person... yet."

The result was surprisingly therapeutic. Just one word turned a mountain of disappointed thoughts into signs of the great things that were to come. That isn't to say that I'm now magically content with who I am, but now I'm willing to move forward in spite of all my negative qualities. And when I do push past this phase of my life and I'm faced with a new set of insecurities, I'll have the strength needed to move forward then.

It is this mindset that makes dissatisfaction an eternal, necessary part of our lives. Without that feeling, there would be no reason to grow up and yearn for something beyond what we have today. If we stop finding flaws in ourselves, we lose the ambition that brings out the best in us. The unhappiness that plagues our everyday thoughts is also what drives us. Even now, I'm cursing my inability to express everything I'm feeling about this topic in a captivating way, but I still believe the ideas in my head are worth expressing.

So to anyone who wishes they could be more than what they are today, keep feeling unsatisfied. Keep acknowledging the flaws that bring you down and keep dreaming of the things that you're always doing wrong. You may not be where you want to be just yet, but you will.

-Michael