Using Your Discontent

It’s a sad truth of the world that the discontented achieve more. Frustration breeds progress. Pissedoffedness powers the world.

“Pshaw!” you say, “Love powers the world.” Well, both answers would be graded as correct. You have to have love, but you got to have unhappiness too. Some part of you (however contented and fulfilled you might be) is probably hungry, yearning, almost mournful for the lack of perfection that you see. Some part of you wants more. Some part of you must be so dismayed by the status quo that you simply cannot live with it anymore. Some part of you wants to fight for excellence, fight like not only your life depends on it, but like all our lives depend on it. Fight like the gods themselves will return and destroy the world if you fail.

But — and this is key — when you will fail (and you will, get used to the idea), don’t you dare give up. Pick up your guidon and march again. Always again. Find your happiness, but keep your restless soul; it’s more important than you realize.

Some people think that life is the good times. But life is the bad times too. And the in-between times.

If you’re only happy, you’re probably not doing all you can. Find your discontent, and use it.