Too many people focus on being happy instead of being content. Happiness can be something that’s very hard to obtain. It sounds like this magical land with unicorns and rainbows where only eternal bliss just happens. However, not everyone can be in this state of mind. Therefore, content is better.
When I was in my early 20’s I cannot honestly say that I was happy. I was so scared at what the future holds. I didn’t really know my true sense of being yet. It was too uncertain of a time for me to genuinely tell someone that I was happy. I wasn’t. However, I slowly built up my place in the world and my confidence.
I’m not sure if I can truly say that I’m happy still. However, I’m content enough and that’s all that matters to me right now. These days, I do not try to pursue happiness but rather being content. It’s the best place that you can be in because the emotion is something that’s completely within your control.
Happiness may require external events but to be content with what you have solely requires your effort. All you have to do is to want less and pursue to have “enough”. Everyone needs a certain amount of material things to keep them alive and feeling good. However, how much stuff you need is completely within your control.
That’s why being content is the better choice. You decide what is enough and how much is enough. it’s all up to you. Right now, I currently have “enough”. I am financially independent, which is all I’ve ever wanted since the beginning. Anything additional that I earn is just icing on the cake.
It’s a great feeling that you can have as well.
What is Being Content?
Being content means that you are at peace and satisfied with who you are, where you’re at, and how you’re going to the next destination. If everything stayed the exact same in your life, you would be satisfied with it because you don’t need more and you don’t need less. Exactly what you have brings you joy.
An easy way to find out is if you ask yourself the question right now. “How do you feel about your life right now?” Do you feel good? Do you feel bad? Is there anything that you would like to improve upon? If the answer is yes, then that’s not being content. If the answer is no, then it is being content.
How to be Content
One way to be content with what you have is to SMACK that social share button and post to your favorite social media! It’s a sign that you already have all the knowledge that you need and now you just want to share it with others. Sharing knowledge can be a much better way to grow together with your friends.
So with that said, let’s get into the concrete steps to get to a point of contentment.
1) Find Out What You Value
You can’t be content if you don’t know what you value. Personally, I value financial independence. Therefore, I took many steps in order to get there. I did things like living on a $2 a day food budget or things like taking the bus to save money on transportation. I wanted to get to financial independence ASAP.
Why? I knew that I didn’t want to work for corporate America for the next 40 years. I knew I wanted to work the shortest amount of time that I can for corporate America. There are personal projects that I want to get around to doing in order for my life to feel fulfilled to me.
The first step is to figure out what you value and be brutally honest with yourself. No one is going to judge you for your choices. I know when people say they want money in their lives, society for some reason judges them for it. This is when you can be honest with yourself on what you truly want out of life.
2) Being Content Means Wanting Less
The definition of freedom doesn’t have to be having everything that you could ever possibly want in your life. It can be to want less things in your life. There are some people who have the big mansions, the fancy cars, and they still can’t figure out a way to be satisfied with what they have.
Because they want more. No matter what they have, they’re always wanting more. The problem with always wanting more is that it’s impossible to satisfy it. Therefore, everything starts with you. Do you really need to always have more in your life to satisfy your cravings? Do you know what your having enough point even is?
It doesn’t necessarily just have to material things that you can have enough of. It can be relationships, friendships, and strong family connection. If you don’t know what that point is, you need to define it. Too many people go through life thinking that, “if I just have xyz, then I’ll be happy”.
Then they continue chasing after it like there’s no tomorrow.
3) Declutter Your Mind
Many people talk about decluttering their home and living the simple living lifestyle. However, how many people actually talk about decluttering their mind? Our minds have limitations that only we can figure out what they are. Yes, contrary to popular belief, we use 100% of our brains.
To be content with what you have, declutter your mind and rid of it with any unnecessary thoughts. Think about the last time you worried about something and thought your life was over. And look at you now, still living and tackling on the world like there’s no tomorrow.
Don’t think about the chores that you have to do. Write a to-do list so that you don’t have to rely on memory to tackle your tasks. It frees up your mental capacity so that you can do more important things going forward. If you want to change your reality, it first starts with decluttering your mindset.
4) Take Deep Breaths When You Think You’ll Lose It
We all have those days. Days when we just lose our emotions. Maybe it is for a good reason maybe it’s not for a good reason. However, to be content means that you are managing your emotions very well. Take deep breaths and take a pause when you think you’ll lose it. It happens to the best of us.
When you calm your emotional needs is when things start to fall in place. Control your thoughts and emotions because they have a good chance of controlling you by the end of it. You don’t want to say something only to regret it minutes later and have that haunt you for a good while.
Take deep breaths and tame your emotions. Control your emotions because they have the greatest risk to your downfall. Once you master calmness is when you can tackle on the chaotic world that is ours. And when you are calm is when you start to feel contentment.
5) Being Content Means Being Grateful
To be content with what you have, the step you need to take is to be grateful. Be thankful for everything that’s happened in your life so far. Be thankful for all the rejections you’ve gotten because every no got you closer to the job that you really wanted.
There certainly are people who was born with more than what you currently have. However, there are people out there who was born with less than what you have. As long as you have your wants in check, there’s no point in wanting more. It’s a blessing to just be alive.
Yes, there’s going to be down days and days where you just want to crawl inside a rock and never come out. I’ve had my fair share of those days. However, you’re going to keep going. Smile that you were even given the opportunity in the first place and come out on top anyway.
6) Manage Your Expectations
Expectations are a powerful concept in feeling content and being content. The psychological phenomenal is that if you expect $6 and get $4, that is even worse than wanting $5 and getting $4. Even though you literally got the exact same amount at the end. That’s how powerful expectations are.
Too many people quit or get frustrated after just six short months. Whether it’s a job, relationship, or a side hustle. They quit after not seeing monumental results. Why? Because they didn’t set expectations correctly. It takes a ridiculously long amount of time to see meaningful results.
When I started my blog, I didn’t expect anything and I still don’t expect anything. I’m just pumping out value adding articles and hoping that one day it pays off by the end. Who knows what’ll happen? Had I expected way too much already, I would’ve given up. Manage your expectations on what life is really going to be like.
7) Erase the Negatives
Being content isn’t just about being positive all the time. It’s about avoiding negatives and erasing them. You don’t have to be positive all the time as long as no negatives in your life exist. As long as you cut ties with negative people in your life, that should be enough in maintaining your sanity and contentment.
Everyone’s got some sort of negative in their life that they can live without. Now, this doesn’t mean get rid of your friends at the first sign of trouble. Positives and negative people exist. However, if someone or something becomes a negative for a prolonged period of time, then it’s time to get rid of it.
Too many people look for additive solutions because we have a psychological bias to add things to solve problems. You need to look for subtractive solutions because they can be much simpler. You COULD organize your drawer by buying another drawer. Or simply, you could just get rid of stuff you don’t use already.
Don’t forget the power of subtractive solutions.
8) Take Care of Your Body
A healthy body is such an important part of your life. It’s your greatest weapon you’ll have to tackle the world. Someone who’s riddled with health problems but are rich are always going to wish to be healthy. Don’t be me. I have severe neck and shoulder problems that I may be permanently on the hook for.
Because I didn’t take care of my body and tried to go too big too soon. I hope that money is able to solve it eventually. However, there’s a chance that money might not be enough. Therefore, no matter how much money I have, I feel aching pains throughout the day. I don’t like it.
Being content means taking care of your health, something that matters more than you know. Don’t take it for granted. Your eyes, mouth, nose, hands, legs, and more are the best free treasures you will ever have in your life. Nurture and treat your body well. It’s unbelievable how priceless your health is.
9) Have an Internal Locus of Control
An internal locus of control is a mindset that says that you are in control of your own destiny. You are solely responsible for your own life. Your failures and successes are because of your choices that you made. That’s a great mindset. It means you’re not blaming anybody else but yourself.
For your failures as well as your successes. No one else is going to help you out but yourself. You are dependent on no one else. Not the government, not your friends, and not even your parents. You don’t get lucky, you make your own luck. That’s what the internal locus of control gets you.
People aren’t going to follow you if you blame your problems on someone else. Rightly or wrongly. Even if you were dealt a bad hand. It may not be your fault and it may completely be your fault. However, who’s going to take care of you in the future is dependent on your choices going forward.
Being Content is Better than Being Happy
Being content is much better than being happy because contentment is completely within your control. You control how much you want in your life, not anyone else. It’s your choices and your wants that determines the outcome of your life. When your outlook is dependent on someone else’s choices they’re sure to let you down.
Why is that? People are naturally self interested beings. That doesn’t make them bad, it just makes them into who they are. They have their own problems that they need to sole. People aren’t going to go out of their way to help you, nor should you expect them to. Will they do so at times? Of course.
However, in general, people will try to solve their own problems first before looking to help others. Therefore, don’t look for external factors to be successful, happy, or feel good. Look for internal factors. Your choices are what affects you. Happiness may not be a choice but being content is.
The most important lesson is to never mistake being content for boredom. Too many people think that they are bored when in actuality, they are content. There’s a big difference between the two and it takes time and effort to figure out which one.
Otherwise, you end up taking an unnecessary risk and leave behind what was good in the first place. You don’t want to mess up what was already good. You want to keep what was already good and try to change the things that are bad. That way, you can win both ways without any sort of guilt whatsoever.
I’ve seen people leave behind good relationships because they thought they were bored. Nope, it turns out that wasn’t the case. It was actually contentment disguised as a negative thing. That wasn’t a good decision.
How to be Content
- Find out what you value
- Being content means wanting less
- Declutter your mind
- Take deep breaths when you think you’ll lose it
- Being content means being grateful
- Manage your expectations
- Erase the negatives
- Take care of your body
- Have an internal locus of control
