Contentment

Be thankful for what you have ; you will end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.  -Oprah Winfrey

At one time or the other, we must have heard stories of people who got what they needed. But, because it wasn’t enough for them, they rip apart their dignity in order to get whatever they desire. No matter the scenario, the ends always remain the same: they realize too late that they have been chasing shadows, setting the paths to their destruction and hurting anyone who dared to stand in between them and their desires.

Contentment is simply the state of being satisfied. Although, any individual views contentment as closely related to a person’s level of satisfaction with his/her life, but the idea of contentment is certainly intertwined in the concept of what makes people happy.

What do happy people do to be content in life? How can one achieve contentment? What does it really take for one to be truly happy?. How can one make so much money in order to be happy?. Does money bring happiness?. The questions on the minds of the youth are endless when it comes to contentment, because unlike others, some teenagers and growing adults do not know what they want out of life.

Why are people so full of discontent?.  This question may seem hard to answer, but the answer lies in our everyday lives. Many men and women, young and old, have always known discontent in their lives right from infancy. While some never did take ‘no’ for an answer, others have grown accustomed to getting whatever they want; a larger group have been denied a great deal of needs due to their family’s struggling finances and have made it a do-or-die affair to get whatever they want at all costs.

Every individual has a general idea of the things that bring happiness, and finally, contentment. For some individuals (mostly matured adults), reaching goals that are important to them and that are in alignment with personality, can contribute to their feelings of confidence and mastery. But, investing energy in avoiding goals will contribute to diminishing happiness as well as deter one from reaching one’s goals.

Looking through scientist’s perspective, it will be hard to accept that there is a strong relationship between happiness and genes. A genetic set point has been inherited by every living person and even though people may fluctuate from that set point, based on the experiences they may encounter (positive or negative), they will come back to that level of happiness that they are genetically predisposed to having.

The idea about achieving happiness and contentment is the one most common amongst our youth. Ask any teenager or young adult, and they will utter the five letter word: money. Many people strongly associate ‘bar’ or ‘doe’ (the slangs used to refer to money by young Nigerians) with happiness, and they believe that being rich will contribute greatly to making them happier.

But, besides the fact that basic needs are met, money has a very small impact on happiness and very few people realize this. This is so, because, money has no effect on happiness once a certain income level has been reached. It can buy lots of things, but it can neither re-create life, nor buy true love and happiness.

In order to be truly contented, you have to accept where you are today and live in the present, rather than wish for what was, or what could be. Don’t get stuck in the dreams so that you can embrace what you have today.

Another thing to note, is adopting the act of being grateful. For someone who has food to eat, clothes on his/her back, somewhere to spend the night, and most importantly, a family that loves you very much, you are better off than millions of people all over the world.

Happy and contented people have no problem of taking responsibility for their own actions. They do things to the best of their ability, and live their lives to the best of their knowledge. They also value the connections with family and true friends, and stay away from bad company.

Happy and contented people do not waste their time trying to keep up with everybody else!.  Life is not a competition, and very few people care about trying to be better than others just to draw attention to them. They have learned the act of being satisfied with what they have.

Finally, there is nothing more satisfying than living out your faith and being true to yourself. Worshipping your creator in the best way you know how can actually put you at peace with yourself, and achieve contentment. Never forget that happiness is a state of mind. Things don’t bring happiness; even the wealthy shed tears. With contentment, comes a better life. 

Examine your life and ask yourself. Are you truly contented?