Feeling dissatisfied:I have had an almost identical discussion with two new friends recently about discontent in one's life. The feeling of discontent, in which there could be more, should be more, to what life is giving us, is a commonly experienced "problem." I've been there, at least in some sense, when it came to religion. I had grown up going to the small Catholic church of my small Nebraskan home town every weekend (daily in the lower grades- we must have been awfully bad), assuming this was an unquestioned part of life and living- Church. Then, moving to Phoenix and going to a larger city church where I was an anonymous parishioner, I experienced a true emptiness when attending mass every Sunday, as though there was no point to it all. Going to the church in my neighborhood, I listened to a cynical priest who seemed intolerant and unwelcoming, followed by near death in the parking lot where everyone raced to beat their fellow man to the exit. There had to be more to religion than this. Lack of compassion, lack of community, lack of love.Then, in 1996, my sister gave me the book "The Celestine Prophecy" shortly followed by "Conversations With God," "Ishmael," and others. These would be my introduction to thinking of "my world" in a whole new light. Over these last 10 plus years, I have reached an understanding or developed a realization that I am completely responsible for the outcome of my experience, meaning I am not a victim of my circumstance, but the sole creator of it. In some ways, it sucks to have no one to blame. But the liberation of knowing that I hold all the cards and get to choose my life is worth the lack of scapegoats. I've known many people who externalize blame onto another individual, family, childhood, or a group of people, defined by their political/racial/ethnic orientation. I'd love to same I am guiltless of this, but I clearly remember blaming all ills in my life on a former boyfriend, on an unethical boss I worked with for one year, and, to some extent, on my wonderful sister's popularity. The ability to blame is always there. The choice to not blame but to look inside is a huge step in spiritual growth. I am not saying there is wisdom and spirituality in staying in an abusive marriage or honor in accepting any unhealthy relationship, but I believe in attempting, daily, to admit my role in each exchange I experience, accepting my part whether a choice was made with pure love or lack of. So, my answer to battling the war of life's dissatisfaction: First, recognize your choices and contributions in the matter and don't cop out with the victim excuse. Then, make the decision to change what can be changed (job, relationship, health, school), or, if situational changes can not be made, change your attitude. When I first began reading "The Teaching of Buddha," and writings and interviews with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I remember learning the importance of Right Thinking. Deciding each and every day to make each and every action complete with good intention. For instance- if I hate my job of waitressing because I find it unfulfilling, and therefore I hate my customers, the first step, in my interpretation anyway, is to look at each patron with love. Purposely sending love to those sitting at my tables would make me see them less as enemies and more as fellow souls I want to take care of and to bring light and love to, even if for the time it takes to serve and consume one meal. If one were to go through the motions of being compassionate, seemingly hiding their real feelings of resentment toward coworkers, customers, neighbors, etc., they would be disappointed in the ability of others to still "feel" the true intention and become negative in response. Right Thinking implies that even if your actions are moral, you still have spiritual work to do if your thoughts are not pure, directed from Spirit's love, as opposed to Ego's fear. After years of drinking and smoking, my body would develop high blood pressure, heart disease, and probably more. If after having a scary episode of a mild heart attack, instead of sinking into a depression about how unfair life is in allowing a hard-working soul like me to have something so horrible happen just because I had a couple little vices, I should look with appreciation at the mild infarct as what it is...... a wake-up call. A reminder, albeit a strong reminder, that I am not doing things in my best interest. In forgiving myself the mistakes I've made that led up to my health problems and then thanking my nurses and doctors for their kind attention, the fear, which is not a useful emotion, will dissipate as a much more proactive attitude of love and forgiveness will surface. Allowing a lesson to be learned with an open attitude lacking judgement will do much to facilitate satisfaction in the simplicity of life's greatest gift, the gift of pure Love... a gift that has been there the whole time during the storm of our discontent.