I Can't Get No...Satisfaction...

I read something interesting the other day that started my mind wandering about what makes us happy and satisfied in life.  It’s not something we study and think about much, we just keep blindly looking for it.  Type in the word and the first thing on an internet search that comes up is the Rolling Stones.  They sang about it and never came up with an answer.  So what is the answer?

What I read had to do with a study on “work satisfaction.”  Their conclusion was that employees are satisfied with work that they think has value, where they work with people they like, and when they get affirmation/appreciation/recognition for what they do (which only in part involves adequate pay.)

Why does a study on work satisfaction make my mind wander?  Because these “discoveries” in their research actually apply to just about everything in our lives.  Think of it this way, even in marriage we want to know that the relationship has value, that you like the person you are with, and that you are appreciated.  If you belong to a church you look for the same things, too, don’t you?  How many times have I heard someone say, “I just haven’t found the right church home to join yet.”  I can guarantee you they are looking for some expression of these three things.

So what’s the point of talking about all this?  I think that we all need to think about it from the opposite viewpoint of not what we are looking for, but “what we are giving out.”  Do you offer something of value?  Do you seek to present yourself as someone likeable?  And most often neglected, do you appreciate and recognize folks adequately for what they do and who they are?  I believe this last one is the most often neglected.  I just don’t think anyone can appreciate someone enough and in enough ways. 

When is the last time you told your wife how much you appreciate her?  When did you recognize that employee of yours for the good job they did or how much you rely on their hard work?  When did you share with your friends what they mean to you?  I just don’t think we could ever spend enough time building up those around us.