|
|
|
How much is enough?
While you are reading this article, take a deep breath in and let it out. This is the present and whatever situations are humming around us and in our minds need not intrude upon our underlying base of contentment with who we are and what we have materially, for underlying our relationships in this world is the relationship with ourselves. The secret of every worldly success is desire, feeling and belief. The world will believe in you and respond to your wishes when you first believe in yourselves. Being content holds the key to all happiness. Being content with what you have at this moment has its advantages.
We can then enjoy happiness in the present moment without stressing out over-attaining some vague object in the future; by being content with who we are, but also being open to improving ourselves with time and enjoying each moment to its fullest.
Contentment lies not in achieving a certain goal, being in a relationship or attaining wealth beyond daily sustenance, but contentment is our own attitude of appreciation for what we are and what we have. Material success can only make you happy if you are already happy. The power to get what you want comes from confidence, positive feeling and desire.
To explain my point, let’s take into account an occurrence that most of us have at one time or another dealt with. When we walk into a store and see something we like but cannot afford it, the realisation of not being able to get what we want puts us under stress. This stress continues to multiply. We have at first created a new desire and think we will not be happy unless we have that object and then we have the stress of thinking how will we pay for the object, and the stress does not end there. It may happen that we do buy this object and cart it home and it breaks, causing us to feel angry over our own or other’s clumsiness. Stress compounds and as we fill our lives and our homes with an abundance of objects, we need to take out more personal property insurance, further adding to our expenses and stress.
By wanting more but appreciating everything they had, many people have unlimited successes in life. Here, I would like to quote Shakespeare: “I earn that I eat, get that I wear, owe no man hate, envy no man’s happiness, glad of other men’s good, content with my harm.”
As it is said he is well-paid, and is well satisfied. In the end I would like to conclude by saying that it is not enough to be happy with what we have but we must honour our material desires as well. As Condorcet said: “Enjoy your own life without comparing it with that of others.”
|
|
|
|
