5 Undeniable Importance of Contentment
We’ve heard so many times that contentment is the key to true happiness. We have also been told words like be contented with what you have, no matter what. But have you ever taken your time to think of what the word contentment really means?
What is contentment?
Contentment is a state of peaceful satisfaction. It is an emotional state of satisfaction that can be seen as a mental state, mostly drawn from being at ease in one’s situation, body, and mind.
Contentment isn’t as we always think, it is not an exciting kind of happiness. You don’t always have to yell… Yippee… Yeh… Before realizing you are happy. As a matter of fact, that kind of happiness is but for a moment. Contentment is more like peaceful ease of mind kind of happiness. It is saying you are satisfied with what you have no matter what it is. Being satisfied with what you have, who you are, where you are, how far you’ve come, accepting your reality as it is.
Contentment isn’t the absence of desires. It means you trust the turns your life makes will yield better results. You under the circumstances better and just live with it.
A lot of people today take life like a track event where you must come first to be the winner. We just race continually to get the best of everything. As humans we will always need stuff, we might want a better paying job, a bigger apartment, a new car, and more. Once we acquire those things, we start running again towards the next goal. It might be an even bigger house, a fancier car. We get that and bam… There we go running and running after this without taking a moment to sit back and be grateful for what you have so far.
Looking only at the miles we have left to run instead of appreciating the ground we’ve covered is like searching for reasons to be unhappy. Why do we always have to search for happiness when we can just be happy.
He who knows enough is enough will always have enough.
Many people allow ambition to become greed when they keep running the race of life to cover an impossible distance. You think you can have enough of your desires. That’s why contentment is the only true form of wealth, a natural wealth while luxury is artificial poverty. We can never feel at ease when contentment is missing in our lives.
Importance Of Contentment
Contentment is very important to us. Below is a list of outlined importance of contentment to our lives:
1. Peace Of Mind
Contentment in general is peace of mind. We have a positive state of mind that helps bring about self-improvement. This doesn’t mean you can’t have dreams and desires, it simply means you are at peace with your present. You can still dream of a better future while being grateful for your accomplishments.
If you can’t be at peace with what you have become and all your achievements so far, then motivating your way towards a better future will be hard. Be contented makes you feel at ease with yourself, your surroundings. You possess a positive attitude towards everything. Contentment doesn’t make you tired of dreaming, rather it gives you a more relaxed way to dream.
2. Happiness
Like I mentioned earlier contentment is the key to obtain happiness. Happiness isn’t something you should be looking for, from luxury and more money. It isn’t some sort of treasure that you go around looking for. Happiness is within you. You can sense if you accept it. Chose it. Tell yourself that you chose to be happy, it’s that simple.
Accept who you are, what you have, where you’ve covered so far no matter how small the pace might be. Be proud and grateful for everything instead of thinking and worrying about things you haven’t done yet, only then will you enjoy the beauty of this world.
Don’t forget contentment is the only real wealth.
3. Knowing Your Needs From Your Wants
Not realizing the line between ambition and greed makes it hard to distinguish between wants and needs. Being contented helps you desire only what you need. The affluence of the present is what helps you lead a healthy and happy life. You then realize joy doesn’t come from how much you’ve acquired but from within.
4. Healthier and stronger relationship
The benefits of contentment are not limited to your well-being alone. They also encircle relationships. When you are contented with what you have and what you are, you are also accepting others as they are.
Accepting others as well as their flaws, and being contented with the present ignites love and prosperity in that relationship. Contentment helps you trust yourself enough to trust others, it promotes love and healing to any relationship.
5. Simplicity
Simplicity is the first cousin of contentment.
When you can distinguish your wants from your needs, you relieve yourself of the stress of overburdening yourself with over wanting more. Simplicity is freedom from complications, you become unconsciously happy with everything you have, whether little or in a bountiful amount.
This concept teaches you to start working on your personal growth instead of wanting more possessions. This is because riding a fancier car, wearing the best outfit, living in a bigger house isn’t going to bring you inner peace.
Contentment is not possessing everything but giving thanks for everything you possess.
Just sit back and practice gratitude. Be grateful for the simple gifts of this life. Understand that material things do not promote long-term happiness and bring yourself to the realization that this life is not a race or a competition. Take one step at a time, life’s about self-sustenance. Just be thankful for everything.
Conclusion
Contentment is the awareness of sufficiency, seeing that we have enough and we are enough. You become free from the pull of greed and longing. You trust that life provides you what you need when you need it. You experience satisfaction with what is. Being content does not obstruct your dream or thwart your purpose. It is a place to stand and view the future with a peaceful heart and gratitude for all that is and all that is to come.
See also;
10 Best Ways To Live A Contented Life
FITNESS AND EXERCISE: SECRETS TO UNLOCKING THE SPOILS OF EXERCISING
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