I made it a point of duty to analyze certain circumstances and shortcomings of both my life and the life of others and one thing is always inarguably true and that is; contentment is key. I like to fancy myself a very content person because I do not indulge in activities that are clearly detrimental to me just to claim a price that may probably become obsolete in the near future. The world has made it so that people are always grappling for something, always longing for something and a good number of these people would be willing to go to the very extreme just to get this thing.
Now, I admire resilience and perseverance when I see them in a person but this view changes when such a person doesn't have a clear picture of the path they want to take. The individual is merely floating and may tend to indulge in negative activities if the opportunity arises.
To think that all of these can be avoided with a certain degree of contentment.
If you haven't already figured it out, one of the important lessons I've learnt in life is “contentment”. There are a million and one crimes that can be avoided if one is simply content. Mix contentment with determination and you have a recipe for success.
The recent story about Sophia Ebueje and Burna boy is an example of lack of contentment. The lady in question agrees to coitus with Burna boy for a Lamborghini. After the deed has been done, Burna boy doesn't keep to his end of the bargain. This led Natasha to air her concerns on social media. Great. But after doing this, the young man didn't still keep to his end of the bargain so she went ahead to buy herself the Lamborghini. My question now is, why didn't you lead by buying yourself the Lamborghini? You weren't content enough or you lots just decided to whip up a controversy to gain traction on social media?
This narration is in no way a personal input because there's so much controversy surrounding this particular news and if I'm being honest, I rather not comment on a consensual activity between two grown ups.
The main question however is, how does one stay content? Are some people born with a high level of contentment or they somehow master it as a means to an end?
I've gathered many tips over the years that help me remain content and a few of them include:
Gratitude
This is one of the first steps to attaining contentment. Not just gratitude to others but gratitude to ourselves too. Learning to be grateful for both the little things and the big things in life. Something as simple as “thank you” can go a very long way in keeping on track.
Letting go of Comparison
This is something I consciously do every day. I remind myself that we all have different paths to follow in life and comparison does nothing but steals precious time that I could be spending lucratively. So instead of comparing, I put my focus on my own journey. This way, I'm training myself to be content with myself and the path I've chosen.
Practicing Generosity and Kindness
Nobody is born generous or kind but a person born into an environment surrounded by generous and kind people always turn out more or less like the people around them. Right from when I was a kid, I was taught the importance of kindness and generosity. Today, it's a walk over for me. I find that when we focus more on giving without expecting anything back in return, we climb a step higher on the contentment ladder.
Setting Realistic Goals and Expectations.
A person who set a goal to build three mansions by the end of the year would definitely get frantic in the month of November when he hasn't achieved this goal. The truth is that most people view their goals as feasible but they do not give themselves and their goals optimum time to flourish. This act alone stirs up discontent and restlessness which can lead the person to indulge in activities that they'd soon come to regret.
I like to think of myself as a wild dreamer because certain goals I set for myself may seem ludicrous at first but the good news is, I always achieve my set out goals. The journey towards attainment of these goals may not always be smooth sailing but if you can think it, you can be it. Yes?
Mindfulness and Meditation
The final tip I'd be sharing is the constant practice of mindfulness and meditation. When I mention meditation, some people think that meditation can only be done on a yoga mat in the middle of the forest but this isn't always the case. Meditation can be done anyway. Personally, I meditate best in a loud crowd because I have the ability to zone out, block out all of the noise and focus my attention on what is necessary.
Mindfulness and meditation helps one to keep track of their activities and goals. The great strides they've made, the setbacks, shortcomings and what not. This helps to point out that they are indeed making progress even if it may not seem like it.
The above tips, alongside many others, have helped me navigate life with the mindset of a content individual and I cannot begin to mention the numerous troubles and binds I've avoided just because I was content. One can never go wrong with contentment.
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