Practicing Living Content
June 28, 2018 by Maren Hoflund
Recently I have been very fond of the idea of balance. Life ebbs and flows with a consistent pattern, even in all ways. I notice this in my own life throughout the seasons, so holding onto a feeling with a clenched fist is only a futile attempt of control.
Balance is simply contentment. The energy of yin and yang. The beautiful history often forgotten about the yin and yang symbol is that the white and black, the opposite energies are always ebbing and flowing. Movement. Life is only ever moving, playing a balancing act. Things maybe could be better, but they could also be less than ideal. Two realities can exist at once, meaning we can be grateful for the present and what we are blessed enough to encounter, while still dreaming and manifesting a desirable future.
Before I realized this truth, it seemed like every time I reached that goal or achieved "happiness" that it ended abruptly and I had to start over again. I was treating happiness as if it were the destination on the journey of life. But after picking up on this pattern, I realized that this is not how life works. This is not how happiness works or is achieved. I needed to find a middle ground, where my expectations were not too high so that I couldn't be disappointed, but my goals were not too small to where I never moved forward. I needed to find a place in the middle where everything wasn't horrendous, but also where the great high times weren't what I was working for. This is how I decided to live a life of feeling content.
"Content" is defined as "in a state of peaceful happiness; a state of satisfaction," and a few appropriate synonyms would include "satisfied" and "gratified" (Oxford). I practice gratitude for the good things in my life, and am satisfied with where I am on my journey. Although I found this middle ground and am all around satisfied, I keep working towards my goals and having everything that I want in life.
Contentment is a practice; there is no destination. There has to be a safe space in the middle. This peace, satisfaction, and grateful state of being despite what is happening around you is being content. Once you actively decide to be content with whatever direction life takes you, or with the consequences of your decisions, you will find peace. If you stop living as though life is a battle that must be won, you will realize that there is no destination. There is no finish line. The only destination we'll ever reach in our lives is death.
In the meantime, we can enjoy life and take the human experience in and appreciate it for what it is, flaws and all.
Living your life with this mindset is incredibly freeing. It allows you to become more humble, and help put into perspective what is really important to you. Nothing can truly disappoint you, and all of the good doesn't get to your head. You are merely at peace. It allows the dust around you to settle. Practicing living content is a way to allow inner peace in, and accept things as the way that they are while still walking towards the future with open arms.