It's okay if you feel guilty for wanting more. In this episode, we dive deep into the conflict many of us face when our aspirations push against feelings of gratitude for what we currently have. I share my own journey of grappling with the desire for something different and more meaningful, even when I was in what most would consider a good job. The truth is, wanting more doesn't make us ungrateful; it simply reflects our humanity and our growth. We can appreciate our current situation while still yearning for what’s next, and it's perfectly fine to give ourselves permission to want more without guilt or apology. So, if you’re feeling that pull today, remember: it's okay to embrace that desire and honor your journey of becoming.

Takeaways:

1. It's completely normal to feel guilty for wanting more in life and growth.
2. Desiring more doesn't mean you're ungrateful; it simply reflects your humanity and aspirations.
3. You can appreciate your current situation while still yearning for future opportunities.
4. Holding gratitude and desire simultaneously is possible; they can coexist without conflict.
5. Wanting more is an act of honoring your personal growth and ongoing journey.
6. It's important to give yourself permission to want more without feeling guilty or selfish.

Hey, this is.

It's okay if bite sized permission slips.

I'm Matt Gilhooley.

And today's permission.

It's okay if you feel guilty for wanting more.

I've wrestled with this one a lot.

There was a time when I had what most people would consider a good job.

It was stable, it was fine.

But deep down, I really wanted something different.

Something more creat.

Something meaningful, maybe more aligned with who I was becoming.

And with that wanting came guilt.

You should be grateful for what you have.

Other people would love this opportunity.

Who are you to want more?

But the truth is, wanting more doesn't make you ungrateful.

It makes you a human being.

You can appreciate where you are and still long for what's next.

You can hold gratitude and desire at the same time.

They're not enemies.

I felt this with my creative work, too.

Even after the Life Shift podcast found an audience, there was still this pull to grow and to reach more people and to just do more.

And yeah, the guilt crept in again.

Shouldn't you be satisfied with this?

Why isn't this enough?

But here's the thing.

Wanting more isn't this betrayal of what you already have.

It's really an act of honoring your growth.

So if you're feeling that pull today, that whisper of more in your heart, but guilt is trying to shut it down, let me offer you it's okay.

You're allowed to want more.

And it doesn't make you greedy or selfish.

It makes you someone who's still becoming.

So if you have it in you, tell yourself, I give myself permission to want more.

Without guilt, without apology.

That's your permission slip, friend.

Tuck it in your pocket and I'll see you next time.