Frustration is a dream killer, the cause of most self-destructive habits and the gateway to hell. Frustration has caused people to give up on life; it destroys ambition, causes depressions and breakdowns. It is probably the greatest scourge of our century.

Frustration is an emotional response to circumstances where one is obstructed from arriving at a personal goal or when expectancies are not met. It should be noted that there is a close relationship between frustration and anger. Frustration without anger would be a deception; with deception we may have sadness but no anger.

The number one cause of frustration is wishful, immature and illogical thinking. It is caused by holding the belief that life owes us something. Life is a gift in itself and anything positive added to that gift is a bonus. That may sound chocking but that’s the way it is.

Society has led us to believe that health, happiness and abundance were birthrights. They are not. They are gifts that were given to some and withheld from others. That’s how life is. There is no such thing as “natural justice” in our world.

The veracity of this statement can be seen by observing nature. We only have to observe nature for a few instants to realize that the Maker (whoever He, She or It is) has not seen fit to distribute evenly His blessings. That’s a fact that we must accept and live with.

That may sound as a pessimistic way of thinking. It’s not. It’s being realistic. The truth is that we were given this incredible gift called life. With that gift came some benefits and advantages but it also contained some disadvantages and restrictions. Our job is to take what we were handed out and to make the most of it.

Frustration occurs when, instead of being grateful for what we were given, we get angry because of what was withheld. That is caused by what has been called the cardinal sin of envy. Feelings of envy are something that we acquired as toddlers but should be discarded as we grow and mature.

No one who is filled with the feeling of gratitude ever falls prey to frustration. At least not for a very long time. There are setbacks and deception. There are moments when a person may feel overwhelmed and sad. There are challenges and there are obstacles. But those are not viewed through the eyes of frustration, resentment and anger. They are seen as personal growth promoting challenges.

No one enjoys hardships. However they are part of life. There are no free lunches. If we want anything out of life, we must work for it and we must accept the fact that the efforts have to be proportional to the challenges. If we want to dance, we have to pay the drummer. Thinking that we can get away with anything without paying the full price is to invite what we need the least, frustration.

Frustration, in almost every case, is a self-inflicted disease. A disease that is caused by exaggerated expectations and a loss of the sense of gratitude. Thankfully it’s a disease that can be cured. It can be cured by a shift in paradigm. It’s done by focusing on what we have and not on what we believe that we should have. It’s done by focusing on opportunities and not on roadblocks. And, finally it’s done by accepting the fact the efforts to overcome any obstacle have to be proportional to the size of that obstacle.

Tony Robbins said, “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” If we can find it within ourselves to live by those words, frustration will only be an obscure and distant concept.

This Blog can be viewed and debated with the members of Personal Development For Personal Success Forums by clicking here.

This article may also be reproduced so long as it is mentioned that it was first published in http://shamoublog.com/

Tags: growth, imagination, important, Personal Development, satisfaction, significance