Last week, a very dear friend of mine said to me, ‘It is difficult to be happy if you are not content.’ His words rang true: there may be moments when something feels happy, but the inner discontentment takes away lasting happiness. Reflecting on contentment in a complex world may serve us well in increasing our quotient of joy.

Contentment is a state of being; a delicate balance between being satisfied with what we have, and yet being ambitious, striving for better. It is not resignation, nor does it blunt our dynamic self-application. It is the inner peace we live with even as we set and achieve higher goals. But how does one maintain this flame of peace within when our lives are full of storms, and we weather all situations in life?

Putting things and life in perspective is important. When we evaluate our life not with what we don’t have but also with what is in place, we realise that in spite of our challenges, there is much to be grateful for. I remember reading a quote in school that has always stayed with me – ‘I cried because I had no shoes, till I saw someone with no feet.’ Gratitude builds contentment.

The uselessness of worrying is obvious. Finding our joy in giving our best replaces the anxiety of the results. An artist finds his contentment when he loves his own work of art. The world may take time to recognise brilliance, but Van Gogh kept painting. Giving our best even when we go unnoticed builds contentment.

When we learn to overcome our ego, we drop the need to control things and start accepting the laws of life. When things go right, we get enthused to go further. When things don’t, we get enthused to strive harder. Acceptance and enthusiasm build contentment.

Much of our inner misery comes from comparing. It is good to benchmark, but feeling small because someone else has more is like using a telescope from the wrong end. When we stop comparing and give our best, knowing that life will reward us fairly in good time, we allow contentment to blossom within.

Contentment is beyond evaluating whether the glass is half-full or half-empty. It is the deeper understanding that this life is a gift, to give our best with love and joy. Contentment is feeling the blessing that we have a glass.

(Picture – Marzamemi, Sicily)