Finding Peace In Contentment
In this era and at this point in time, everyone is being encouraged to do more; to strive to achieve more money, more success, more recognition, which is good. However, this has also led a lot of people to overlook the very element of having a fulfilled life - which is contentment. Just to let you know; there is nothing that you achieve today that there will not be something ahead to be achieved more. You have to first learn to appreciate where you are and what you have, so that it will not lead you to the desperation of wanting to get more and more. Being ambitious is good, hoping and striving to have something better is also good, but it should not make you desperate and lose your inner peace. This is why you have to become contented.
True peace is not achieved by the abundance of external accomplishments, but it comes from a satisfied and contented heart. There are lots of people with so much possessions, yet without peace, but there are also others that are just comfortable but with peace. This is determined by the heart that is satisfied with what it has. Just to let you know; when I talk about contentment, I do not mean that you should settle for the less, but it means learning to appreciate the things that you have at the moment. That is, having the confidence that what you have today can take care of your today.
A lot of of people have lived a relentless life, always believing that their next achievement will be what will bring them the needed happiness, and they keep their attention focused on the future without taking time to appreciate what they have at the moment. The truth is that, even if they finally get the achievement, they would quickly shift their expectations further into the future and the cycle continues. It is this kind of endless cycles of expectations that rub a lot of people of their joy and peace. They forget that what they have now was once their wish, but they have not taken time to even consider or appreciate it.
It is worthy to note that contentment, which ultimately leads to inner peace, is a choice and there are things that you need to put in place if you want to achieve it. Firstly, you have to overcome the urge of compassion. What someone has that you do not have should not make you desperate to have it at all cost. After all, there are things that you have that even the other person that you are comparing yourself with does not have. More so, your current level is still far better than many people's levels. You have to know that you are not in a race of who will achieve more, so be satisfied with what you have even while hoping to get more.
Another facilitator of contentment is gratitude. When you learn to be appreciative of what you have and be grateful for the most principal of them all; life, you will learn to be contented. You may be wishing to attain a level of financial buoyancy for example, but you should also be grateful for what money cannot buy. There are some very rich people who do not have the good health to enjoy their wealth. Worst still, some are not even alive to enjoy what they gave their life for. Gratitude does not mean that you do not have challenges, but you know that there will always be a way out.
Contentment has other benefits apart from bringing peace within you. It has a way of strengthening one's emotional and mental well-being. It does this by removing your mind from desperation, reducing anxiety, and even calms the soul. Contentment does not guarantee freedom from challenges, but it gives the strength to face the challenges with peace of mind and patience. People who are contented are not easily swayed off their feet even at the presence of challenges, because their joy is not tied to material possessions. You need to have this in mind as I conclude with it; "contentment is a mindset and what you need to cultivate as a lifestyle, not a gift."
Thanks for reading
