Whether inside or outside prison, everyone needs a reason to live. The very thing or people that they wake up for, that they work for, that they think of every day, are reasons that need to be enough for them so that they can lead a purpose-drive life. Inside prison, it is their motivation for getting through the day and surviving it alive, safe, and emotionally stable. This is a hard thing to do because even a person who lives a normal life may sometimes be unable to find ways to take satisfaction in his or her life.
It is our human nature to search for things that are even better than what we already have. When you have achieved something, it is normal for you to find a new goal that is better or something that is more fulfilling than the last one. People are rarely contented with what they have or whom they are with, mainly because there is a huge possibility of becoming more or of gaining more, but life inside prison is different from living your life outside of those lonely walls. When serving time, you must take it day by day and step by step; after all, there isn’t so much to do when you are locked in.
“To survive in prison, must you develop ways to take satisfaction in one’s daily life?” is an interesting question to answer. The answer is simple, though: Yes. This means being contented with what you have, who you are, and what you are doing and taking it day by day, one step at time — no rushing it. This may be hard especially for prisoners. This is why they must learn ways of being satisfied while serving time for their wrongdoings or else they may not be as sane as they were before they entered prison.
There are different kinds of people. There are those who can be satisfied by little things like food on their table, clean water to drink, or even a presentable place to sleep in. These are people who live their life one step at a time, who are thankful for even the smallest things.
There are others who are hard to please just because they already had probably the best things in life. These people are hardly impressed, much less easily satisfied. What they have failed to realize is that the material things aren’t all that matter.
There are also some people who can feel contentment through emotional and mental support. You can take small steps to getting that much-needed satisfaction through looking at how lucky you are, that you are not in the worst of conditions, and that being a prisoner is not the worst thing that could happen to you — that there is still life after you have served your time, that there is something better that is waiting for you.
Even if you are contented and happy with what you have, it doesn’t mean that you need to stop there and think that you can never have or become something better. You can always hope for the best. Take each day as it comes, look at the little things, and find something each day that makes you happy — it might be a fresh cup of coffee in the morning, a small talk with a friend, or even a great book that you can read. It’s all a matter of how you view things and situations.
The first step is to assess what kind of situation you are in. Then, try to think about what good can come out of your situation, what it could bring to you. What can you learn from it? How can you grow as a person simply through that same experience you are going through?
The next step is to know that where you are in and what you are going through in the present isn’t going to last forever, that there is still a chance for you to start over with a clean slate.
You can survive it. You can get through it and come out an even better person. You can also think about how lucky you are for having people in your life that can and will support you. They may not always be your family, but maybe your friend, a special someone, or even a prison mate that has been really good to you and has helped you through the toughest of times. Remember that you have individuals around you that can help you get through your worst days.
The secret to being satisfied is simple. You need to change your viewpoint. The positives in your life must always outweigh the negatives. As they say, we must look at the bright side but never compare yourself to those that you think are more fortunate than you. We must always remember that we can never have it all but we can always make good out of any situation. A clear and positive perspective is the key to everything; we must learn how to change our view, to always look at the positives notes.
The grass might be greener on the other side but you can still have a different kind of flower that can only be found in your side of the fence. You can have something that others cannot have, and that is your optimism and contentment. We must learn not to dwell on the bad things in life but instead be more thankful for what we already have. We need to face the reality that what you have now isn’t the worst. There are other people suffering due to things that are unimaginable, things that you can only see in movies.
Let’s face it, serving time isn’t a walk in the park; it isn’t an experience that you want but it is something you need to go through. It is being in a place where your conscience constantly haunts you. Always carrying the burden of guilt is worse than having to live in a place where you can reflect on your actions while socializing and growing with diverse people.
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