Contentment

Contentment-when someone is contented they have a feeling or behave in a way that shows satisfaction with their possessions, status, or situation. How often in our society do we experience these feelings? We live in society that is constantly wanting more. More things, more money, more friends, more houses, more clothes, more food, more pleasure, more entertainment, more, more, more... The media tells us that we need more things, newer things, newer versions of the same things we currently have. Nothing is actually made to last for long in our world. Most things are disposable. Our attitude is "throw it out, get a new one", "easy come-easy go". We are driven by consumerism. If you don't believe me then all you need to do is sit down for an hour or so and watch television (strictly for research purposes), flip through some magazines, get onto the internet, go through your mail. Believe me, I know about the mail... I deliver hundreds of catalogs, fliers, and sale papers every week. All of them are trying to sell you more, more, more. And we are buying into it. Literally, buying into it...The numbers of people in America suffering from debt are staggering, and growing larger everyday. We no longer own our possessions, they own us. We buy new things and spend our lives trying to pay for them. We work so many hours that we never enjoy our things, however, we are compelled to buy new things. Continuing the cycle of debt. At the rates that Americans are going into debt, the new retirement age will be Death, because we will never be able to afford to retire. I see this cycle in my own life and am trying to put an end to it. I see the lessons that I have taught my children through the years, and cringe. I have often quoted the saying, "youth is wasted on the young, and wisdom on the old." The youth are strong and healthy but have no sense, and when you get older and gain the wisdom then you are to broken down to use it. I would love to think that we could live two lives, one in which we learn and the second one in which we use the wisdom gained in the first life to live the way we should. But I do not believe this is so, and I must try to undo some of the ill that I brought about by making poor choices.

Philip Gulley, a wonderful writer that I enjoy reading, and I highly recommend, has a segment on WFYI, Indiana's PBS station called "Porch Talk". One of these segments was called Contentment. I highly recommend you follow the link and listen. We could all stand to be a little more like the lady he is refering to in this piece. If you are truly caught up in consumerism, then take a break from it for a week. Don't buy anything, except what is absolutely necessary for your survival that week. If you succeed that week, try another one. Soon you will realize that more things won't bring the happiness or contentment you are seeking. Things will just add to the clutter of you life and the stress of your debt load. Lets all just try living with less and on less and maybe just maybe we will find more, more contentment, more joy, more true happiness, and more time to do the things we truly enjoy in life. Maybe the saying is true, "Less IS more".

Today's insiration

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” ~epicurus

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”~Fredrick Keonig