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I remember when I was young. My number # 1 driving force for me was money. Money was the most important thing to me because what I wanted to do with it. Money was my God. In my 20s, I remember people asking me, what is the most important thing to me? I said Money. It wasn't family, God, or happiness. It was money.
Money was my driving force that I forgo much safer routes in my life. I took much riskier risks than necessary and, in the end, I did not achieve the kind of success that I had hope for. But luckily, I also did not financially ruin myself or my wife's...by the time my wife and I retire, we should be comfortable. Ironically, I felt that I would have achieved way more success had I taken less risks in my life, but I have no regrets...go big or go home, right?
So, I suffered a stroke 3 years ago at 46. Not too major. I still can walk and do normal things; except I now have bad short-term memory issues. It took me 46 years and a stroke to realize that money is just that money. Despite my stroke and diabetes, I am healthier than ever. I now walk 10,000 to 20,000 steps a day, along with biking. And I am content. Honestly, I feel lucky despite all my screw ups and risky decisions. I know many people who are my age or older and do not a have a cent to their name and wondering how they are going to make ends meet. Some of them are in extremely poor health, they are in and out of hospital every other month. Others have already passed away.
So, yeah, I guess it took a stroke for me to rethink my philosophy on life. Are you content with your life? If so...when? If not, why?
When I was 12 years old, I watched a program about a wild tribe in Africa. People wore sheets, lived in shacks, and washed their hair with cow urine. But in the evenings they had dances and parties. They smiled and laughed and seemed happy. I thought they had no Internet, no car, no apartment, no bathtub, and yet they laughed as if they were happy anyway. And then I realized that you can be happy in any country, in any conditions, and even when there is no money. I never aspired to earn as much as possible, although I wanted money. But it was important to me to be morally comfortable and to be respected. I always tried to rely on my feelings and sensations. It seemed to me that if I would listen to myself, the universe would take care of me and give me as much money as I needed.
In answer to the OP , yes I’m extremely content with my life. It’s not that I have everything I want , but more I want everything I have.
For me what really changed my lens was retiring. Fortunately I was able to retire at 50, I’m 56 now and once that happened the underlying angst of daily living in the workforce disappeared. I didn’t realize how working 50 hours a week is so paralyzing- affects everything- my eating habits, sleep, exercise schedule, just never really being able to be “ present” in the moment and just be grateful for life’s simple pleasures. Mind you , for the most part I liked my job, it wasn’t awful but man looking back there’s just no freedom. Immensely grateful for my life today. Feel very lucky.
I remember when I was young. My number # 1 driving force for me was money. Money was the most important thing to me because what I wanted to do with it. Money was my God. In my 20s, I remember people asking me, what is the most important thing to me? I said Money. It wasn't family, God, or happiness. It was money.
Money is a good motivator. It buys a lot of great things and experiences.
I certainly would not have worked for decades of my life if it weren’t for the money I made.
I feel you find contentment when you are no longer looking for something. Happy with your home, your surroundings, friends, and life in general.
So how does one manage to have all those components just so and become content? I think it is more about loving what you have and where you live, feeling gratitude. Perhaps that is what you meant as well. Easier to love what you have than to find what what you will love that will make you happy.
Try acceptance. As much as you can, accept everything. Accept the good; pretty easy. Accept all the bad, it's not that hard if you really GET acceptance.
To me, acceptance is and has been my direct line to contentment
I'm very content with my life because I have good health, everything I need and many things I wanted (not a lot, a lot of things though. I'm not greedy - I learned that the more you have the more you want is greedy. When you are greedy, you will never be happy or content). I know how much is enough for me. I don't compare my life or what I have with somebody else’s. So, I'm happy and content with everything I have, and I'm grateful to God or the Universe.
Sixty here, and largely yes. My wife and I both make very good livings in jobs that we enjoy. We have an abundance of friends and hobbies, and live intentionally well within our means. We have a plan for our retirement that we'll follow as long as our health is good. Our thirty-year-year marriage is stronger today than when we were newlyweds. We volunteer for a couple of non-profits as well as our church, because it's not healthy to live only for yourself. When we both retire, I'm certain we'll do a lot more.
You're only as happy as your unhappiest child. We're lucky that we have three twenty-something children who seem to have purpose, are self-supporting, and have friends and love in their lives.
I only have two major yearnings in life. First to travel extensively. Second to get my novels published. The one I have circulating right now has several agents reviewing it. Fingers crossed. But otherwise? All good at this stage.
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