I feel lately like I have become more reflective and contemplative as the time passes. As the our lives are slowly changing, and in no time at all, our lives will never be the same every again, it feels like now is the time to be reflective about our current situation and what we have achieved so far.
I honestly believe that I am becoming more and more content with life. That’s not to say that I’ve not been happy before now, as I have, but I feel that I am finally accepting who I am and being content with what me and my husband are trying to do. Being content means that I am endlessly grateful that we can continue on this journey, and that we have such fantastic, supportive, family and friends.
There are always people who are going to have more then you do. There are always going to be people who earn more, own more, do more, seem more successful (though I suppose it depends on your definition of success) and there are always going to be people who you might be envious of. But, this seems to suggest that having more will make us more happy, and I’m starting to genuinely believe that is just not the case.
Being content is the key to happiness. Being happy with what life is currently like, and what it continues to give you and teach you, is learning how to be content with your lot. It means that you appreciate the good things in your life and realise that we are all lucky, no matter what stage of life we are in. Appreciating what you have instead of envying the things you don’t, means that the burden of owning material possessions is lifted.
Time also plays a big part in becoming content. As a child, there are new things to learn, new experiences to discover, and obstacles to overcome. Younger children tend to be happy in the moment, but contentedness is a mindset over time. Feeling content means that you have a constant underlying feeling of being fairly happy. I think as I grow older, the things that make me happy are changing; nothing makes me feel more relaxed and content than sitting at home with my husband and our two crazy cats, having a cup of tea and homemade cake, and savouring the time we get to spend together.
Being content is achieving a certain kind of mindset; almost like an attitude to life that we have to learn. The constant yearning of wanting more, or the act of having less will not result in contentedness. It does not come from having lots of external stuff, such as material possessions. Being content comes from within, and it a state of mind that produces self belief and happiness. It enables you to be more kind, to enjoy living in the moment and to be able to laugh at yourself when the moment arises. It means you can be true to your actions, and figure out just what kind of person you are and what you value you. Being content in your own life means you can truly live the life you want, rather than striving for a life that seems just that bit out of reach.
I feel like, at this moment in time, I am content. I am happy with where our lives are at this moment in time, and am looking forward to the future. What an amazing feeling to be able to feel, and I know that we are incredibly lucky and blessed to feel like this.
Are you content with your life? What aspects do you wish you could change? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
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Something we are trying to balance (and haven’t mastered yet) is how to manage being content in the present time with planning for a different life in the future. We’re working diligently for an early retirement in a few years, which is in a way saying that we aren’t content with our current lives and jobs. But, in truth, we are happy. It feels like it must be true that one can be content on different levels — content with the present but still working toward a different future. Interesting thought, anyway. 🙂
You raise an interesting point – it is a fine balance between appreciating the now and planning for the future. Thanks for stopping by 🙂