Are you someone who constantly looks at what bag your friend has? How many marks your friend has scored? How much salary your co-worker is earning? If you are someone who is engaged in this process, it clearly conveys that you are lacking a sense of contentment.
Well, what is contentment?
Contentment can be viewed as a quality wherein we are happy and satisfied with what we have, what we have achieved, and the qualities we possess. Contentment is not just about big things, but rather can be about any small little thing that we have, or have achieved. Living in such a materialistic world, is it easy for us to have a sense of contentment?
These days we all are engaged in the ‘More’ strategy, where we want more money, more power, more validation, more things, and more success from the outside world. It is without any denial that these things will bring happiness and joy. But let me put one question here. How long will that happiness last for? Once we get those things, we become happy, and after that our happiness begins to decline, until we find our next source of happiness using the ‘More Strategy’.
I am not stating that temporary happiness is not good for wellness, however, it is not sustainable. Deriving things using the ‘More Strategy’ often costs a lot of energy, resources and time to keep up.
The word contentment comes from the Latin word contentus, which means “held together” or “intact”. Initially the word was used to describe containers. But later there was a shift in the meaning of the word, to reflect onto a person, that describes someone who feels complete from within. This shift in the perspective, changes the nature of humanity’s quest to a greater extent.
Usually all the emotions that one experiences, requires an external input from the outside world. However, contentment does not require any external input. This is one emotion that stems completely from within the person. Contentment can be seen as a sense of realization, that we are complete and whole as we are, irrespective of the problems and challenges we may face.
What are some of the positive aspects of contentment?
Having a sense of contentment helps us to enjoy and cherish what we already have or have achieved. Second of all, it brings us inner peace and happiness in our every-day life and relationship. Thirdly, it helps us to slow down our fast-paced living, excessive consumption, and destruction of our beautiful planet. Various philosophers and leaders have always discussed and highlighted the importance of contentment. Let us look at one such example. Mahatma Gandhi said- “There is enough in the world for everyone’s need, but not for anyone’s greed. This quote sheds light on values of simplicity and contentment. Mahatma Gandhi, throughout his life, has always lived a simplistic life with a sense of contentment.
How can we develop contentment?
There are many different practices that can help us develop a sense of contentment. These practices require no expensive investment, but rather a simple effort and dedication from our side. These practices are quite sustainable and cost-effective.
Firstly, try and commit into good relationships. Make sure you are surrounded by contended and optimistic people, who will make sure that you also a live contended life. This is not only a one-way relationship, but rather a two-way relationship. When you are surrounded by contended people, it lifts up your mood and helps you live a contended life. The same applies the other way around too, thereby creating a circle of contended and optimistic people. Make sure to let the people who you are surrounding, know that you are always there for them, and glad they are a part of your life.
Secondly, practice gratitude. This might seem like something we are doing every day. Isn’t it? Are we really appreciating every tiny little thing that has happened to us in a day? Are we taking the time from our busy schedules to be grateful for everything and anything that has happened to us? Well, now it might not seem like we are not practicing gratitude every day. Right? Being grateful, is not just saying thank you to someone, but rather being grateful for even tiny thing that has happened to us. For example, being grateful that your plant has bloomed its first flower today. As you see, it can be very simple and might even feel like something that is unnecessary, but as we regularly practice the art of gratitude, we learn to be happy and contended with everything we have.
Thirdly, develop optimism. Always try to look at the bright side of everything that happens. This does not mean that we should not acknowledge the negative things that happen. Bad things happen to everyone. However, it is imperative that, we do not let the negative aspects blur our life. Accept the negative happenings, look at the bright side of it, and work harder to change it. Developing optimism may not be a very easy process. Slowly start understanding your negative thoughts and introspect on those, to see why those negative thoughts are coming to you. Once this is done, it will be easier for us to change those negative thoughts by self-questioning, to see if those thoughts are really adding any value to our lives. After this process, it will be a lot easier for us to change those pessimistic thoughts to optimistic ones.
Fourthly, surround yourself in nature. This might seem very difficult living in urban cities and towns where nature might be very hard to spot. But even having a few plants in your balcony, spending time with them in the morning, listening to the chirping of birds, will help us to realize and recognize everything in our life, thereby helping us to cultivate contentment.
Lastly, make sure to accept yourself as who you are. We all may not be our ideal self at the moment, but that does not mean that we judge ourselves and fail to accept who we are. It is not possible for anyone to evolve and grow as a person when engaged in the process of self-criticism and self-loathing. Only when you accept yourself as a person, can you work harder to evolve into a better personality. Acknowledge and appreciate every small thing that you have achieved till date. Be proud of all the hard work and determination you have put into everything that you have done.
To sum up…
I would like to conclude by saying that contentment in no sense means to stop achieving things in life. It is just a sense of satisfaction with things that you have achieved, while still defining who you are or what you are as a person. Your efforts in developing and growing as a person can itself provide a sense of contentment. So be contended with what you have and have achieved whilst working towards your goals and dreams!
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