Contentment --adjective in a state of peaceful happiness or satisfaction. ▶ verb satisfy (someone).
■ ( content oneself with) accept as adequate despite wanting more or ...
As I walked this morning, I pondered about contentment!!
what is contentment?What does it mean to you?
The scene this morning was the trees frosted with last night's snow, and there wasn't a wind to disturb the gentle picture created. All was quiet......even the birds weren't singing this morning. The white snow had been disturbed by the deer and other creatures that live behind the tree line. Colours ranged from gray to black with touches of red sticking up and the beige leaves hanging sadly from a branch.
Is 'wanting' a condition of our society?
I'm content to stay home and don't have any desire to travel. I enjoy short trips with my husband. If asked if there was a material item I would like to have------it is a Gator but it isn't something I just have to have. I enjoy being with friends, sharing a meal, being with my grandchildren, love it when my family drops in for a visit or a friend, enjoy my daughter stopping by for 5 minutes or 55 minutes, knitting, reading and walking in the morning. I don't wish or want a larger home.........I really love my little house that we have renovated. The only real wish I have is for yarn.
Is this contentment or a lack of dreams?
Is it being complacent?
Is it spiritual contentment? As I have heard it told that when a person has reached a certain spirituality then they don't require a lot of material things.
Is it because I'm 61?
Is it my personality.?
I hope you take the time to share your thoughts as I'm curious as to what you think contentment is?
Thanks for stopping by............bring your glass of wine and join me again at 71 Sunflower Lane.
Interesting thoughts, Marlene. I think it has to do with all those things you questioned - our culture, age, gender. I ran across this quote from a TED speaker, Barry Schwartz "The key to happiness is low expectations". Ha. But is contentment the same as happiness? I wonder. Is contentment "settling"? I think if we are forced to accept a situation like health restrictions, then we have to adjust our expectations - "I can no longer travel as I would like, so I have to "settle" and become content with what I have and can do". There was another talk on TED about living with no regrets - is that resonable? What is wrong with having regrets. It's probably a good thing that we can't find out how things would turn out if we had made other decisions earlier in our lives. You should check out TED talks - lectures from hundreds of people on hundreds of topics. Makes for very interesting reading.
ReplyDeleteLil, I have to agree about expectations........they can cause my preseption to change---and the negative factores can set in. How does one live life with no regrets. Those regrets may spark our life in some way.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the media, in particular, advertising is always showing or telling us what we need....instead of looking within to fill those needs.
Thanks for sharing your ponderings......food for thought.