Contentment
I came across a synonym for competition, ambition. Ambition is the desire to obtain or achieve. When I think of competition, though, that does not drive my own goals. It can motivate you to push yourself if needed, but if you are self-motivated, competition can deter the destination of our journey.
Having a rival or external forces to challenge your ambitions definitely helps push through our limits. My counterargument, though, is: Shouldn’t we want to be self-sufficient? Comparing our journeys can overwhelm our purpose. I would say in extreme cases, we can lose our aim if we are caught up in competition. Competition is the striving for something that is sought by another at the same time. The never-ending chase inherently holds a hunger even with a full stomach.
A different word, contentment, has been lingering around my brain for the past year or so. Being content in our society, primarily capitalistic government (I’m not getting political, I promise), is perceived as settling or becoming stagnant. Being on a plateau in life, career, or finance does not mean you are stuck but possibly just content. Contentment does not mean you have to stay content, but it can be a period of stillness. Evaluating your following goals in life or pausing to be grateful for your accomplishments educates and empowers your next adventure. If there is a belief that mental wellness is essential, you have to see the benefits of being present and having gratitude in life.
There is often a fine line between ambition and greed. - Good Therapy
Isn’t that the mantra people preach these days? Be present, and have gratitude.
I argue that too much competitiveness with others and yourself counter that moment of stillness and grace essential to happiness and contentment.
3 challenges for you:
Easy challenge: Take 5 minutes each morning and don’t think about who is better or what needs to improve, and just thank yourself for being here and now.
Kind of an Easy challenge: Disconnect for a day from unnecessary interactions that provide opportunities to compare yourself to others (social media, 1-up conversations, negative interactions)
Hard challenge: Give yourself a week of your time. Limit all your interactions to necessity, and find gratitude the whole time in life, your successes, and acceptances of your challenges.
I’m not asking you to become a hermit; I am asking you to listen to yourself. Sometimes we have only a certain amount of bandwidth, and it has to be focused on our own wellbeing.
We have to listen to ourselves to know what gives us peace. Happiness is changes based on what brings us peace. Chasing happiness is not the solution to being content, but being content is the key to happiness. Find acceptance of your present moment, appreciate it, and trust that the future journey is the best experience.
