Learn The Secrets of Contentment

By
Contentment is essential to a happy life.


Contentment allows you to be fully present for your life, ready to find value in the here and now.


But contentment is impossible when you continually hunger for more.  Advertising, social media comparisons, and awareness of the Joneses keep you longing for whatever the next purchase promises to provide.  Even a bucket list of desired experiences can keep you from fully savoring the current event, since it's only one in a long line.


beautiful view over the mountains


Gratitude and contentment go together.


Contentment only comes when you realize the blessings you already possess, and when you appreciate the opportunities and experiences you've already enjoyed.


Ambition can push us toward achievement, but unbridled desire eventually makes us unhappy.  It's a hunger that is never satisfied.  Achievements don't bring contentment, because the next hill is always there to be conquered.


Wise people from all eras and cultures have warned us about this.

  • Chinese sage Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, said "Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.  When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you."
  • The Greek philosopher Socrates taught that "He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have."
  • Jesus of Nazareth said, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

And author Lev Grossman warns us 


For just one second, look at your life and see how perfect it is.
Stop looking for the next secret door
that is going to lead you to your real life.
Stop waiting.  This is it:  There's nothing else.
It's here, and you'd better decide to enjoy it
or you're going to be miserable wherever you go,
for the rest of your life, forever.




10 ways to find contentment


1.  Be thankful for health, food, and shelter.


2.  Learn to enjoy things without owning them: books in the library, art in the museum, the playground in the park, the scenic highway.


3.  Appreciate the change of seasons, sunrise and sunset, the phases of the moon, the heat and the frost.


4.  Learn to like fields and trees, long walks, and the beauties of nature that are within your reach (even dandelions in your lawn, or the doves nesting in your eaves).


5.  Be thankful for work, and relish the satisfaction of doing a job as well as it can be done.


6.  Learn to do for yourself.  Make something, grow something, and learn to fix things.


7.  Appreciate the people you love who love you too.  Learn to like people, even those who are different from you.


8.  Celebrate the fact that you have enough by sharing with those who are in need.


9.  Learn to savor special treats, and to keep them special by keeping them rare.  Enjoy perfect peaches in season, one wear-it-forever piece of jewelry, that long-awaited trip, or those just-right jeans.


10.  Keep your wants simple, and refuse to be controlled by the likes and dislikes of others.

Comments

  1. Linda SandJune 13, 2020 at 1:44 PM

    I, for one, am much more content now that I have accepted that these are my current circumstances. I actually feel happier than I have felt in a long time staying in my minimalist home.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen TrefzgerJune 14, 2020 at 4:47 PM

      Hi again, Linda. I guess it is not a very "American" ideal to accept and appreciate one's circumstances. We're supposed to always be striving for MORE. I'm glad you're finding happiness right where you are.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2020 at 7:22 AM

    I have found this man's words to be a great guide. They share many of your same sentiments.

    Learn to like what doesn’t cost much.
    Learn to like reading, conversation, music.
    Learn to like pain food, plain service, plain cooking.
    Learn to like fields, trees, brooks, hiking, rowing, climbing hills.
    Learn to like people, even though some of them may be different…different from you.
    Learn to like to work and enjoy the satisfaction of doing your job as well as it can be done.
    Learn to like the songs of birds, the companionship of dogs.
    Learn to like gardening, puttering around the house, and fixing things.
    Learn to like the sunrise and sunset, the beating of rain on the roof and windows, and the gentle fall of snow on a winter day.
    Learn to keep your wants simple and refuse to be controlled by the likes and dislikes of others.
    by Lowell L. Bennion

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen TrefzgerSeptember 11, 2020 at 5:01 PM

      Thank you for sharing this! I wonder if I might have read it long ago, and maybe it made a great impression on me too? Some of the thoughts are very similar. Isn't it wonderful, the different influences in our lives, some we may not even be aware of. They all add up to make us who we are. Thank you for reading.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9 Best Shopping Hacks for Your Successful Minimalist Wardrobe

By
Image
If you haven't already checked it out...  I was named an expert in an ApartmentGuide article. Check out the featured article : How to Declutter Your Home Fast: Tips From Our Experts | ApartmentGuide I used to spend most weekends and even some evenings after work shopping for clothes.  I often told myself I was "just looking," but the truth is, the more we "look," the more we buy.  I couldn't keep money in a savings account, and I always had credit card debt, but it took me many years to notice the connection between my shopping habits and my lack of funds.  (I know – dumb.) So I had a closet full of clothes, but "nothing" to wear – or so I told myself as I made yet another trip to the mall.  I'd buy clothes that I'd wear once or twice, at which point I'd realize I didn't like them as much as I thought, they didn't look as good on me as I had believed, or they had stretched, shrunk, faded, balled up, or otherwise been ruined in
Read more

How Minimalism Has Made Me Rich

By
Image
We only get to spend our money once.  So every time we buy something, we're making two statements: I don't have enough (which might be true when it comes to food, gas, toilet paper, or some other things). This thing is more valuable than anything else I could have done with my money (again, sometimes this is true). Every time we make a purchase, we have less money for something else.  Yes, we can make more money, but that takes our time and energy – and those things are finite. So our choices of how to spend are more momentous than we think. That's why my Starbucks habit is a problem, or maybe why your clothes-buying or music- and app-downloading habits might be problems.  Maybe we can technically "afford" those things (that is, we aren't using credit to buy them), but is that the best way for us to use our money? A true windfall I recently received a small bequest from my Uncle Clarence, who passed away early last year.  His wife Alice, who predeceased him, w
Read more

The Lies We Tell Ourselves About Ownership

By
Image
There's a belief about ownership which goes something like this:  "If you own _______, you'll be _______."  It elevates ownership as the answer to all of our hopes and dreams. Some examples: If you own a pair of skinny jeans, you'll look skinnier. If you own the right skin care products, you'll look younger. If you own a designer handbag, you'll be stylish/happy/enviable. If you own the right equipment, you'll be more proficient. If you own the latest technology, you'll be smarter/cooler/safer. The truth The only truth about ownership is that if you own something, it's yours to pay for and take care of.  It doesn't solve your problems or change you into something you're not. Ownership begins with payment.  You sign a contract or a loan document, swipe a credit card, or hand over your hard-earned cash.  After a very short "I got it!  It's mine!" high, you get used to having whatever-it-is and it's no longer quite so ex
Read more

The Challenge to Stop Saying "I Can't" About Minimalism

By
Image
When I talk about simplifying to non-minimalists, their first reaction is usually positive.  Everyone would like a bit more peace and focus in their schedules.  Everyone would like simpler home care, with less frustration when it comes to the tasks we need to do every day, such as getting dressed, preparing meals, and corralling toys. As the conversation continues, however, they often become less enthusiastic.  Of course, minimalism is a challenge in our consumerist culture.  Yes, it requires a period of adaptation.  But plenty of people come to the conclusion they could never make such a lifestyle change. I thought less was impossible. When I mention giving up unnecessary shopping, people may agree.  But once we get to specifics of wearing fewer clothes and shoes, buying fewer restaurant meals, traveling less often and closer to home, perhaps considering a smaller house or fewer vehicles, those same people get uncomfortable.  The thought of buying fewer fancy coffee drinks, fewer sal
Read more

How to Stop Making the Same Money Mistakes This Year

By
Image
When we come to the end of a calendar or fiscal year, or start gathering the paperwork we need to file tax returns, we may think back on our financial decisions of the past 12 months.  Or we may have this internal heart-to-heart as each bank statement or credit card bill arrives in the mail. For many of us, these thoughts bring regret.  Maybe we're unhappy about overspending, missed savings opportunities, or major expenditures that now seem unwise.  Maybe our level of debt causes anxiety or shame.  In spite of our intentions and resolutions, we may wonder how we let ourselves make these terrible choices yet again. Don't follow this trend. If you're in this situation, you're not alone.  The average American family added 14% more credit card debt in 2022 , and even more in 2023.  Auto and personal loan balances are up, and Experian reports that mortgage debt has seen record growth.  Millions of Americans spend more than they earn every month , the exact opposite of financ
Read more