Being content for what you have

We humans are a funny lot, we seem to never have enough, goal post moves regularly

So how do you balance this? be grateful for what you have

Here is an interesting read

Why You May Never Be Truly Satisfied, and Why That's Okay

 

Great thread.

For a long time now I've been very grateful for what I have and content on a daily basis. I still want to grow and explore what other opportunities are out there, but the drive behind that is mostly from a place of passion and enjoyment, not so much moving goal posts.

For me the key is realising that no matter how much you have, you won't be truely content unless you are able to feel gratitude for everything you have, don't have and will never have.

 

"The greatest wealth is to be content with little." ~ Plato ...

 

Many years ago I was in a long taxi ride in South East Asia & having a good ol’ chat with the driver. This man was so happy even considering his regular 12-15 hr days and meagre means. I asked his secret to happiness..... he simply said, “Don’t compare yourself to anyone or anything. Just be you & be grateful for what you have.” (Paraphrased)

I often consider that man whenever I begin to feel entitled or wanting more.... not to compare but to ground myself in the reality of no matter how much or how little you have, being content & happy is a conscious way of life, not a bank balance.

 

Great advice.

 

I really believe we have to focus on and be grateful for the present moment. I think we can easily get so focused on the end game that we're not present and enjoying life. I've been accused of that in the past. The risk is we might not even get to the end goal. Maybe if our goals are focused material, external things we could be more likely to become dissatisfied, entitled etc? I don't know.

I'm with @Sackie , I love everything I have now and new goals are just for fun now, and the challenge. How far can I get? It doesn't matter but I'm having fun pushing myself as far as possible.

 

If you or someone you deeply love suffers a serious illness or a serious accident, you will soon learn to be grateful for what you have.

My wife and I have always been grateful for the opportunities that have come our way and for what we have.

We were given a subtle reminder three years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I was given this lesson very in life when I was 12 - I lost my favourite sister in a car accident (she was 10).

 

I agree, I make daily effort to be grateful for many blessings in my life.
For many years I have practiced this. Every night I go to bed and in my mind I will always mention 3 things I am grateful that happened that day.
These are my personal thoughts. Sometimes they are things like:
- Spoke with mum today
- Did gardening
- Listened to music
- Cooked with kids
- Met a friend
- Read a great book
- Enjoyed conversation with such and such
- Solved a challenge
- Had a great idea put into practice
- Helped such and such
- Spent time with spouse doing....
etc...
What I found interesting is the realization that mainly I am grateful for actions taken, not necessary just material things acquired. I try to concentrate on triumphs over defeats or obstacles so in a way my training is self-administered.
I am also grateful for many of JR teachings but mainly for "Five Major Pieces Of Life Puzzle", where I realized it is also my attitude my thinking that will play a major role whether I am happy or successful in life, how I will face challenges whether they are in or out of my control.
Once I defined to myself what constituted a great life to me, I became content with what I have, grateful for it, and each milestone whether personal or financial or out of my control (illness or accident of those you love) is then placed in such a perspective.
As the saying goes, "Live your life each day as if it was your last!".
Not many do, many understand the concept yet don't practice it in their lives...

 

Thanks for the link @MTR - there are heaps of great articles and no paywall - yippee!

 

Oscar Wilde — 'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.' ...

Just getup each morning and watch the Sun come up,and say this is going to be the best day of your life,and never ever compare yourself to anyone --that's all you have to do..

 

The tag line in my email signature is:

Making 2019 the BEST yet.​

I kept it from when I had my business (it was part of our corporate standard) as BEST stands for Business Excellence Starts Today.

So, this is a subtle reminder of one of my guiding principle which is not only to make today the best day in your life but also this year the best so far.

I am a big believer in setting short-term and long-term goals

 

That's all one has to do,also takes me back to sitting at the Salisbury primary school all those years ago in the few meet -up's i went to..
Ian Summers was sitting a the head of the Table..One by One everyone told their story ,some only starting out others like Brenda and Yourself with your Wife sitting next to you were already a success ..

Then it came to Ian's turn,and you looked at the Man ..simple dress calm outlook and if you saw him in the street he would just blend in..

Then he told the story about walking down Hastings St ,Noosa having a ice-cream and looking at a for sale sign ..So he walk's in with his Wife ,looks at 2 units beachfront and just on the location price size and ,and the high class fit off told the Sale-person we will buy 2..

That gentleman just told it as it is ..

 

This is one quality that I inherited from my dad that I think is reasonably rare, contentment.

I would say we're definitely over represented in terms of contentment on here, because in a way, it goes hand in hand with delayed gratification. "It's okay if I don't have something now, I'm fine with that, for I'll have something better tomorrow."

It's certainly something that I strive to in life. Happiness comes and goes, but as long as contentment is around most of the time, you're all good.

 

I'll have a little of this, a little of that... I'm not greedy

 

The killer of happiness is expectation and comparing yourself to others. when you have expectation of something, a preconceived idea of how something should turn out, and it falls short, it causes internal suffering, and we call it being un happy.

I think Social media and rapid information has a lot to answer for this in the new generations coming through.

I found one way to get past this and try and live with contentment is to focus on helping others, almost like a responsibility, for me its family and animals, rescuing dogs etc. it takes the focus off my own EGO. I believe its our own EGO that gets in the way of our own fulfilment, always wanting more "stuff" is just a short term dopamine hit.

 

I never want to be content.

If your grateful for what you've got and happy with what you've got you never need to be content with what you've got.

Willy

 

The road to mediocrity is also to be content with little.

Willy

 

As JR said:
“Progress in any form and happiness or success in any form requires constant effort, for obstacles exist that might discourage the weak and the undeserving. Overcome one obstacle in life, and another appears to fill the void. Life is designed to be a story of achievement in spite of adversity, not in the absence of adversity, for without adversity achievement could not exist. Do not blame the problems and challenges of life for your humbling circumstances. Does the seed complain because of the rocks it must grow over, under, around, or through? Would any worthy life exist on earth if all life were to surrender when first confronted by difficulty? The constant, unrelenting pull of life is downward—giving cause for disappointment, despair, and discouragement. There shall always be cause to give up; there shall always be cause for complaint, but engage in complaining and you add to the downward pull of life.”

“Someone once said — “Don’t pray for things to be easier, rather, pray for more obstacles and more challenges, for it is out of these that man’s character and will to succeed are formed.” Nearly every success story that I am aware of began when the person first lay flat on his mental and financial back. In this condition, people usually become sufficiently disgusted to reach deep down inside and pull out talents, abilities, desire, and determination—the basic essentials required of anyone wishing for things to get better. It is in the face of adversity that things begin to change, and the “things” always change as a result of the personal change that takes place. I have discovered that “things” never change by themselves. It’s when a human, with sufficient disgust, desire, and determination to change his life finally steps up to the bar of human justice and shouts for all the world to hear—“I have had it with defeat and humiliation, and I will tolerate it no longer.” That is when time, fate and circumstances call a hasty conference, and all three wearily agree— “We had best step aside, because we are powerless to stop that kind of resolve.” But the masses of people unfortunately don’t change—they wait for circumstances to change—blaming others, or blaming situations for their meager progress. They accept defeat as though it was nature’s design for humanity to wallow in pools of defeat and self-pity.”

“From this moment on, and for what remains of the balance of your life, make your commitment to excellence, remembering that it is your challenge to succeed. After all, you only have one life! Let’s do something remarkable!

 

And what exactly is so bad about mediocrity?
I'd much rather be mediocre and content than be astonishing and unfulfilled!

 

Absolutely nothing wrong with it. Everyone is different.

I just know I wouldn't be content if I knew I could've done more.

Willy