{"id":35552,"date":"2021-05-27T18:28:40","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T22:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=35552"},"modified":"2021-06-06T21:33:41","modified_gmt":"2021-06-07T01:33:41","slug":"striving-for-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/striving-for-more\/","title":{"rendered":"If You’re Always Striving for More, You Can’t Be Happy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you find yourself wishing or striving for things that you don’t have? What are the negative consequences of chasing superficial dreams?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Society is always urging us to strive for more happiness, money, success, attractiveness, etc. But when we’re always striving, we never get a chance to be happy with what we do have. We need to learn how to filter out what is actually important and what we shouldn’t give a f*ck about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue on to learn why always striving for more will leave you miserable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Striving for More Won\u2019t Make You Happy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck<\/em> argues that our culture and social media encourage us to pursue superficial things in order to be happy. But we end up feeling miserable because we fail to prioritize \u2014 we give a f*ck about too many things<\/strong> rather than choosing and focusing on just a few important things that give our lives meaning. This article is a guide for sorting out what\u2019s important and what\u2019s not, and redirecting our lives to achieve true satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media, entertainment, and advertising messages urge us to give a f*ck about everything incessantly. We \u201cmust\u201d always strive for more<\/strong> \u2014 more happiness, more money and success, more experiences, more friends, more possessions, greater attractiveness, and a better body. In addition, self-help \u201cexperts\u201d unrealistically urge us to be positive and happy all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But we feel unhappy instead because these messages emphasize what we lack<\/strong>. By constantly wishing\/striving for something, you reinforce to yourself that you don’t have it. <\/strong>Then the self-help experts give you superficial, short-term fixes: Stand in front of a mirror and repeat affirmations<\/a>, or follow 10 easy steps to become rich. The advice further emphasizes what you\u2019re lacking while failing to offer lasting solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Consequences of Striving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a result:<\/p>\n\n\n\n