Satisfaction

Yesterday I read an article in the new "body and soul" magazine about satisfaction. The author defined satisfaction as a deep yet simple contentedness. I tried to remember a few main points because I could relate it to my life right now and also something Jeff said in his blog a few days ago.
-Satisfaction comes when we connect with ourselves and our lives. -Valuing the journey is more satisfying than the finish line. -And fulfillment comes from the effort it took and the hard work to make it happen. It's been shown that the body produces dopamine when it is anticipating pleasure. This suggests the very thought of attaining a goal brings about a sense of joy.

This aritcle resonated whith me because this past week I have been making Jeff's christmas gift. Obviously I can't say what it is. But it's pretty involved for me and is using and abusing all my creative juices. But I've been having a blast doing it. I look forward to working on it every night. It's cool because I think about Jeff when I work on it and I feel like more love is being put into it. I think about (anticipate) his reaction and what he'll do with it etc. All the while creating that sense of joy.

This also leads me to Jeff's blog. He mentioned how shopping for gifts was pleasurable for him because he gets excited when he finds that perfect gift. He's also anticipating their reaction. All the while raising his dopamine levels. Good job Jeff. Maybe you should shop for me more often.

(After Christmas I'll put up a picture of the gift. Sorry I can't be more specific right now.)