Friday, November 12, 2010

The state of contentment

I was lying in bed the other night and thought outloud, "I've never been so content in life as I am right now." I smiled in the dark when G paused for a moment and said "me too". It got me thinking about the true definition of contentment. Out of curiosity, I googled it and wasn't really too surprised at what came up.

Lots of quotes from famous people...

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” - Cicero

“Happiness is self-contentedness.” - Aristotle

"Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.” - Socrates

And numerous discussions on the effects of finances, relationships, jobs, kids, and social situations and how they are all intertwined with happiness and contentment with life.

I also found an interesting article I thought I would share from here. You can read the entire article by clicking on the link. Here are some highlights that hit home for me personally.

"Count your blessings. When you find yourself unhappy with something, or with what you don’t have, take a moment to count all the good things in your life. And I would bet there are many. It puts the focus on what you do have rather than what you don’t.

Stop, and remind yourself. When you find yourself unhappy with someone, or trying to change them, stop yourself. Take a deep breath, and remind yourself that you should try to be happy with that person for who he/she is. Take a moment to think about the good things about that person, the reasons you love that person. Then accept their faults as part of their entire package.

Stop, and consider why you want something. When you feel the urge to buy something, think about whether it’s a need or a want. If it’s a want, take a pause. It’s good to wait 30 days — keep a 30-day list … when you want something, put it on the list with the date, and if you still want it in 30 days, you can buy it). Consider why you want something. Are you not content with what you already have? Why not?


Take time to appreciate your life! I like to reflect on my life, and all the good things in it, on a regular basis. I do this when I run, or when I watch the sunset or sunrise, or when I’m out in nature. Another great method is a morning gratitude session — think of all the things and people you’re thankful for, and thank them silently.


Show people you appreciate them. It’s good to appreciate people, but it’s even better to show them. Give them a hug, smile, spend time with them, thank them out loud, thank them publicly.


Breathe, and smile. Once again, advice from one of my favorite monks, but it works in this context. Sometimes when we take the time to breathe, and smile, it can change our outlook on life.

Learn to enjoy the simple things. Instead of wanting to buy expensive things, and spend money on doing things like eating out or entertainment, learn to enjoy stuff that’s free. Conversations and walks with other people. Spending time outdoors. Watching a DVD or playing board games. Going to the beach. Playing sports. Running. These things don’t cost much, and they are awesome. "
You know what I notice the most about the above listing? They all include an action... Count, Remind, Stop, Consider, Take Time, Appreciate, Breathe, Smile, Enjoy, Learn. And the action is on the individual. Others can't do it for you... it's up to you.

So catching up on my Thankful 30... I am thankful for
  • 10 - Being content in life
  • 11 - The power of Google!
  • 12 - Being able to stay home and take care of my sick little girl (again!)

1 comment:

  1. Great post, Janet!

    While I can relate to all of them, two jump out at me:
    "Stop and consider why you want something"

    My family knows this little quirk about me. I will carry an item around a store for an hour and then put it back before I leave. It has to pass the 24 hour test - in which I continue to think about it - if it does and I do, then I go back for it. Quirky, but it works for me.

    The other one was "Show people you appreciate them" - I try to do this often, as you read on the Own Your Journey Project. Just seems to make people's day. I think because so many of us don't do this often enough.

    *hugs* to you and the family!!

    ReplyDelete

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