OCTOBER 2012: CONTENTMENT
n. contentment (kuhn-tent-muhnt)Contentment literally means "ease of mind." This definition teaches us that contentment comes from within. And happiness stems from contentment. If you live in the United States, you are endowed with a certain inalienable right to "pursue happiness." This implies an ongoing search, as if we can attain happiness through that which we own, consume, or experience.
However, happiness is not something that can be found from outside your own skin. Many of us assume that if we had more money, the perfect spouse or kids, or a larger house or faster car that we would be more content and happier. Yet, aren't there rich people who are discontent? Who still want more? Aren't there people with the most loving spouse and the biggest house who are still unhappy? Of course.
Feeding into discontent is like feeding a fire: the more fuel you add, the more the fire grows. Contentment means being satisfied with things as they are. When you are satisfied with the way things are, you allow yourself to be happy, not just to pursue it.
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