Having lived in 3 immensely diverse countries over the course of my seemingly short life, defining ‘quality of life’ in the truest sense of the world comes as somewhat of a challenge. Granted, everyone defines quality of life in their own unique way, based on their individualized morals, values and perceptions of the world. But in essence, can anyone really ever satisfied with their current quality of life?
It is but human nature to be in perpetual pursuit of better opportunities – be they professional, academic or personal. The grass ALWAYS seems greener on the other side for some reason; the question is, is it really greener? (not sure why my paragraphs seem to conclude with rhetorical statements.)
Oddly enough, a CEO striking million dollar deals in the plush leather comforts of an 100-something story building may be just as contented as a bum feeding pigeons while propped up against soaked cardboard boxes on the street corner. It’s interesting how the stark difference in our physical environments can, at times, have little or no impact on our state of mind. Our external circumstances are often far beyond our control; that’s when we truly realize that we are empowered in our innate abilities to manipulate emotions and feelings to our advantage. At the end of the day, the CEO and the bum are all looking for the same goal – to be content measured against our own definition of the concept: content with our not only our achievements, but also our actions, intentions and emotions. That feeling you get when each piece of the puzzle fits in place and there is nowhere else you would rather be than exactly in this state of satisfaction. And it is up to you to decide whether that feeling is ephemeral, or something you can hang on to for a life-time.
