You have a good-paying job, a lovely house, a nice car, more than enough food to share with your family and some cash in the bank. You’ve got no reason to be dissatisfied. But still, there’s that pervasive hum of discontent each day.
We’ve all been raised and conditioned to be competitive. You study hard, find a good job and work your way to the top. A lot of people often assume that achievers enjoy a great life, but studies show that life at the top can cause its own problems.
Recent study shows that ambitious people, despite their many accomplishments, are only slightly happier as compared to their less ambitious counterparts. They get what they want, but they still feel unhappy, lonely and bored. They feel like they still have something to prove. Sometimes, they even feel like they’re not special enough or they’re not good enough.
They think that they will feel good about themselves when they succeed. They think that those feelings of self-doubt would disappear once they have proven themselves, yet they still feel empty. So, they work harder, aim for more recognition or try to make more money.
In some cases, ambitious people become so addicted to the recognition, power and fame. They relish in the praise and attention. When it fades, they become depressed. The Success Syndrome has taken hold. This is an illness that strikes every successful person.
While there is nothing wrong in wanting to achieve more in life, you shouldn’t quantify your success on the amount of money you make or how much power and control you have.
Find other ways to measure self-worth. You will only achieve contentment and satisfaction when you enjoy what you’re doing and you take pride in what you have achieved. Continually remind yourself that what you have now is good enough. Also, try not to compare yourself to others. The less attention you pay to how much worse or better you are than others, the happier you will be.