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Let’s Strive for Contentment
Isn’t this what we all really want?
Rather than the pursuit of happiness, which is elusive and hard to define, maybe we should instead strive for a sense of contentment.
Contentment is defined as : Satisfaction and ease of mind.
Contentment feels soft, warm and comforting. Is there any other way to define a happy life than as one that left you feeling content or satisfied?
This ease of mind implies that an outcome was reached that felt right, what we have is good, life is full. We don’t need to have a perfect life, nor will we get one, but we can find contentment with the one we have.
This doesn’t mean that we don’t strive for goals or for a better life, but the meaning of a contented life is finding a softer form of happiness along the journey.
Maybe we won’t ever ‘lose those ten pounds’ — does that condemn us to a state of unhappiness? Hopefully not.
The pursuit of goals is all well and good, but as soon as we accomplish a goal there is often a feeling of sadness or let-down. Working towards an event or goal is energizing and the rush of dopamine as we work towards our goal is energizing and inspiring. But we are back to our baseline level of happiness soon after.
