What separates those who are content with their progress in life from those who want more from life often comes down to a simple question of persistence. Do we have enough persistence to continue working even when we are confronted with doubt?
Lack of persistence will arise whenever we are uncertain of our goals. When we have done extensive research to confirm that the goal is a worthy one, we are unlikely to be deterred by obstacles. But if we think there is a chance we may have chosen the wrong goals then adversity has a foothold against us.
There is a simple answer to this problem: we need to choose a goal that is general enough to ensure that we are not wrong about it but specific enough that it has some meaning. The Buddha suggested that we should all strive to be satisfied with the way things are. The value of this very elegant teaching cannot be overstated.
If our goal is to become satisfied rather than to accumulate more and more of what we think we want, our actions will need to change. We will then see the value of devoting time to insight meditation rather than other pursuits that will never really make us satisfied. Once we determine that we want satisfaction, we should learn to practice insight meditation as soon as possible. With persistence born of wisdom, satisfaction will come to us as a matter of course.