Doing this makes it harder to be happy

Allow me to impart to you this important nugget of wisdom on the pursuit of happiness:

Seeking perfection -- whether in your job or your relationships -- will yield no fruit.

And the reason why is because there's no such thing as the perfect job or relationship.

Sure, one should never remain trapped in a situation that has them feeling drained and utterly miserable. Life is too short for that.

But people who hop from one job or relationship to the other until they found one that meets all their criteria are sure to come up empty.

When it comes to jobs and relationships -- and, more broadly, life itself -- there is just too much that lies outside our control.

In the case of jobs, it's everything from toxic co-workers to economic uncertainty.

The company may go belly-up tomorrow, leaving you in the lurch financially. Your boss, normally a cool, easy-going guy, may become a raging psychopath as he grapples with a bitter divorce.

And as far as relationships, it's all the same.

Your partner may show his true colors once the honeymoon phase peters out, calling into question whether you're even a good match for one another.

And many of the things that endeared you to him in the beginning -- his habit of dozing off on the phone, his tendency to spring the restaurant bill on you at the last minute -- can turn into pet peeves.

There's just no way around it.

Every choice we make has its pros and cons, and it's up to us to decide what we are not willing to put up with.

For example, a workplace rife with bullying and harassment is out of bounds. But perhaps you're willing to accept the long commute offered by a different employer for a robust salary and benefits package.

And maybe your partner isn't as physically attractive as you'd hoped, but her radiant smile, great sense of humor, impressive work ethic, and unbridled humility more than make up for that.

If everything in life were perfect, we would never have to make compromises.

That's why, rather than discounting whatever and whoever we deem as flawed, we should instead gravitate toward options where the pluses clearly outweigh the minuses.

Otherwise, we will continue to fall into the pattern of turning down great opportunities.

And continually seeking something/someone better will, ironically, leave us wholly unsatisfied.

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