The Bipolar Pendulum of Discontent: When Enough is Never Enough

On a recent mid-morning walk in the sweltering Florida heat—77 degrees but feeling like 88 thanks to the suffocating 96% humidity—I stopped, listened, and intuition spoke. It told me something I didn’t want to hear: I have been drowning in discontent.

Denial was my first instinct. I’m content, I told myself. But almost immediately, the questions flooded in: Why should I be content when this and that is happening? Isn’t it obvious how bad things are? How can I be content when the world is unraveling? And the heat—I wasn’t content with that either. It made me think of the climate crisis, of lakes and rivers drying up, of a planet in distress while those in power bicker over whose truth is true. The pollution, the destruction, the cruelty of humanity toward one another—it all compounded into one vast feeling of discontent, laced with anger, sadness, grief, and disappointment.

We are only as strong as our weakest family member, and we—humanity—are failing as a family. Some lift others up, while others drag them down, and the fact that so many refuse to see their own role in this cycle breeds even deeper discontent.

The Personal and Collective Struggle with Discontent

Discontent is the feeling of dissatisfaction, of expectations unmet, of knowing things should be better but feeling powerless to change them. It’s easy to get lost in the vastness of global problems as a way to escape the discontent in our personal lives. But the truth my intuition was pressing on me was this: My discontent wasn’t just about the world—it was about me.

I feel like I have so much more to offer. At 60, I carry wisdom, intuition, and experience that the world could benefit from. And yet, I no longer want to work for anyone. The idea of spending my energy in service of a system I no longer believe in feels unbearable. I’ve joked that I want to be a lobbyist for all the people—a voice of reason in a system corrupted by special interests. But where do I begin?

I hold real estate and mortgage licenses that provide opportunities for success, yet I feel frozen, unsure of how to use them in a way that aligns with my soul’s desires. I want to help humanity raise its consciousness. I want to fight for Mother Earth—slow climate change, reduce pollution, change the way we govern. And yet, part of me wonders if I’m delusional for thinking I could make a real difference. Perhaps every woman who has ever identified as a mother has this same Wonder Woman instinct—to fight, in whatever way she can, to save humanity for future generations.

The Bipolar Pendulum of Society

Discontent doesn’t just exist within individuals—it exists within nations. The bipolar pendulum of American politics swings wildly between extremes. We went from the firestorm of Trump, whose reckless destruction pleased those desperate for change, to Biden, who promised stability but delivered stagnation. And still, the people are unhappy. Because the reality is that no political extreme will ever satisfy the deeper hunger within society.

We don’t want leaders who simply destroy or merely maintain—we want transformation. But the political system, much like the economic and environmental systems, is designed to keep us perpetually swinging between discontent and false hope. Never fulfilled, never at peace, always wanting something more but unsure what more even looks like.

The Antidote to Discontent

It is said that gratitude opens heaven’s doors and invites divine grace. And yet, gratitude and discontent often feel like enemies. Can we be grateful and discontent at the same time? The answer is yes—if we learn to use discontent as a force for growth rather than a source of suffering.

Discontent should not be ignored or buried—it is a message, a signal that something is out of alignment. It is not wrong to want more from life. It is not wrong to demand better from our leaders. But we must stop confusing more with meaningful. We must stop chasing external solutions to an internal longing.

The Middle Way teaches that balance—not extremes—is the key to peace. It is neither blind complacency nor constant rebellion, but a steady path that acknowledges both gratitude for what is and ambition for what could be.

So I ask myself: Can I hold gratitude for the blessings I have while still fighting for something better? Can I steady my own pendulum before trying to steady the world’s?

And I ask you the same. Where does your discontent stem from? And will you use it to create or to destroy?