“He
who is not content with what he has will not be content with what he would like
to have.” Socrates
Contentment
is not necessarily a state of satisfaction in which acquired possessions mark
the goal. Rather contentment is a state of mind in that anything more we
might achieve or acquire is like a pleasant surprise since we are already satisfied.
Like the biblical concept of love, however, contentment is not something that
just happens or comes naturally. Contentment requires that we actively
engage in what is at our disposal, reveling in what is already present rather
than focusing on what we convince ourselves we lack. So contentment may
come down to what we think we own or what we believe we are entitled to vs.
what we have been allowed for purposes much greater than for self-satisfaction
because as long as we are in pursuit of “stuff” we think will make us happy,
there will never exist a goal which can be reached – and true happiness will
never be known.
Contentment
may be the single greatest gift we can offer and teach to our children rather
than to orient them toward religious holidays the sole purpose of which is to
get more stuff. The religious holidays (i.e., Christmas and Easter) are
the gifts themselves, not incidental to what is found under a tree or in a
basket. If we cannot find contentment in these, we will not find contentment
in the “prizes” because the true gift is overlooked.
This
is how contentment is neglected. Much like it is often said that we are
inclined to “step over a dollar to pick up a dime”, we become so focused on
what we do not have that we take for granted what we always had. Counting
our blessings is more than the title of a religious hymn. It is the
essence of faith itself in trusting that what we truly need is already present,
however much or little. And if we can embrace the spiritual reality that
nothing is given that is not intended to be shared, we will find much more
satisfaction in what already is than in vain hope for what may never come to
be.
Blessings,
Michael
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