Gratitude plays a large part in satisfaction. Gratitude has the ability to make what you have, enough. Satisfaction comes from an inner confidence and peace that you are doing something that is important and fulfilling to you.
If you are feeling at a crossroads, take stock. What is it that makes you feel happy and satisfied? What do you spend most of your day doing and feeling? Compare the two – how similar are they? If you find that for most of the day, you feel stressed or dissatisfied or bored, maybe it is time to make a change.
The change you desire could be sparked by a change in your personal outlook. Life can always throw in twists and turns, but we have a remarkable ability to make changes to our lives. Attitude is everything.
If you feel dissatisfied with personal relationships, be they with a partner, boss or friend, try for a moment to put yourself in their shoes. Try and speak from their perspective (and not just to prove them wrong). See what else may be happening in their lives that could be having an impact on their interactions with you.
Practice being patient, and do your best to react differently that you usually do. You may find a whole new world of communication opens up when your attitude changes. There are very few people who actively try to upset and obstruct the progress of others; there are usually misunderstandings and contributing factors.
If you feel somewhat unfulfilled at work, do some investigative work. Why was this business created in the first place? What part do you play? How is your contribution important? Can you make any changes to your input that will be valuable? Having a sense of purpose and understanding will really help with your satisfaction levels.
Granted, if you feel unsatisfied because of something practical (for example remuneration), it may take more than a change of perspective, but a positive and honest outlook is not to be underestimated. You never know what you can create until you really set your mind to it!