The Difference Between Always Seeking To Improve Yourself And Not Being Satisfied With What You Have

Are you satisfied with your lot in life, with your career, income level and all that you have? Or are you currently still in the process of working to improve yourself and your place in life? The question you need to ask yourself is this. “Do I need improvement in my life situation, or am I just not satisfied with what I have?”

Chase Blosser | Chasing Thoughts And View Points

What Motivates You? steps

In today’s world and society, we have the common problem of people increasingly not being satisfied with what they have and always seeking to improve upon their lot in life. In the process of doing so, I believe that we all confuse our efforts to increase what we have with real efforts of improvement. That is our efforts to always seek to improve ourselves have become mixed in with efforts to increase wealth and the ownership of stuff.

This mixing of always seeking improvement with seeking greater wealth and not ever being satisfied with what one has in life is a huge mistake and at the very root of being part of the problems facing us in today’s world. To always seek to improve one’s place in life and to believe that one’s self always has room for improvement should never be confused and mix. They are two totally different concepts!

The first is seeking at its most basic level only to secure one’s living and living standards while they live in this world. The second is the belief that no matter one’s skill set, knowledge, or “where one is in life” that there is always “room for improvement.” It is also the belief that not only is the always room for improvement in one’s self and life but that we all should seek to improve ourselves and reach our full potential.

Chase Blosser | Chasing Thoughts And View Points

Dream Job word cloud on blackboard

Chase Blosser | Chasing Thoughts And View Points

The problem is that the two concepts are repeatedly confused and taken as one. People tend to conflate the need to always improve one’s self with how well they are doing in life as far as their careers/jobs and how much money they make or how much “stuff” they own. This tends to lead to unsatisfied lives because when we combine our seeking to improve our place in life with improving ourselves, we create in ourselves a constant need for “more and more.” We also stop seeking improvement in our selves/lives and instead seek the unattainable perfection.

Chase Blosser | Chasing Thoughts And View Points

Progress, not perfection – white chalk text blackboard – fitness and healthy lifestyle concept

We then in our constant pursuit to try and satisfy ourselves and our need for more become ever busy and on the move with no time to enjoy life and the simple things. However, when the two concepts are separated and in their proper places. When our seeking to improve and secure our place in life is just that and separate from our need always to try to improve upon ourselves which is just that, our lives and society in general moves along a whole lot smoother. It can be argued I believe that the concept and problem of “greed” is largely the result of the combination of the two concepts. When they are separate, we are more able to be satisfied with what we have in life and our place in it. Oh, we will still seek improvement both in ourselves and in our careers and such, but there is no longer “that urgency” to it all.

What are your thoughts and viewpoints on the matter? All opinions are welcomed and wanted. 

 

 

To be “Mighty” and “Great;” What has made the United States a “Great” Nation?

This is response one-word prompt “Mighty” by “The Daily Post.”

According to Merriam Webster to is possessing might: powerful, to be accomplished or characterized by might, or to be or imposing size or extent. President Donald Trump both during his campaign for the presidency during said presidency so far championed a returning the of America to a “great” once again and to make it “mighty” in its powers. My question is and has been for quite some time is does the President mean by “great” and or “powerful?” A lot of nations in today’s world can be considered “great” and or “powerful” so too can we look to the history of past nations/countries and empires that were certainly considered “great” and or “powerful.”

The thing is, to be “mighty” and or “great” is, can be, and does mean several things. Also “mightiness” and “greatness” do not necessarily go together and are certainly not the same thing. As said above to be “mighty” is to process great strength, in the case of nations usually either military strength, economic strength, or both. But for nations to be considered “great” historically refers to the impact they have had on the rest of the world and on future generations long after the country, nation, or empire in question is either gone or had waned in power and greatness.

“Greatness” requires not just “power” and “might” but unequal influence over all other nations and peoples. It requires the nation to be quite different from others in its values, outlook, behavior and so on. Greatness can be either “good” or “bad.” To improve upon or bring back to “greatness” the United States as President Trump says is his goal, is all well and good, but not if he is focusing just on the economic and military strength of the nation. One has to look at the underlying foundations of the culture of a nation for greatness. If one believes that the United States has been a “great” nation (as I do and still believe in the potential for greatness) one must answer how has it been “great” and what it so. How has the United States traditionally acted and behaved in response to the rest of the word and its self?

One must remember that what makes up a nation is its people, thus it is its people that can or can’t make a nation “great.” If it is the people that have made the United States “great” then it is the culture, morals, and beliefs of the people that matter in making and deciding “greatness.” In making a nation “great” its people will also decide the underlying character of that “greatness;” that is if that “greatness” is either “good” or “bad.” Will the “great nation” have an overall positive or negative impact on the world? This is the fundamental question that must be asked by someone trying to “return” a nation back to greatness; what was the underlying “character of that greatness in relation to the rest of the word, good or evil?

I believe that the United States is and has been a “great’ nation for some time. That ‘”greatness” is not reflected in the military or economic “might” of the United States, (though both are and have been considerable) those are more a byproduct of said “greatness” no, the “greatness” of  the United States is reflected in the people’s traditionally strong sense of belief in both the individual and the community and a willingness (indeed eagerness) to reach out and help those in need, and not just those they know but in a lot of cases complete and total strangers.

The United States, I sincerely believe has become a “great” nation also because it is and was founded on a certain set of ideas and principles, (Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness). In that regard, unlike other nations and countries who have either collapsed and or have been conquered; as long as there is but a few to carry on those ideals and principals, the “United States” is and will be “immortal and everlasting. (But only if the morals and beliefs that made it “great” remain.) One could say that to be “great” is to transcend and transform the “normal” human experience and existence.

So, if President Trump or anyone wants to “return” the United States to “greatness” they need to look at the people and culture, not the military and economy, though those are important, just not the “be all by all” that some may think they all. “Greatness” is more than strength! The United States has been a great nation because traditionally the United States has been “good!”

What are your views on this subject? Please do share, all thoughts and viewpoints are welcomed and wanted.