One thing that I have come to learn in the past 96 days is that being content doesn't mean I am settling. I used to fear the word contentment. I felt that being content wasn't the same as being happy. To me, being content meant the same as being satisfied and being satisfied meant that I'd accepted my lot in life. Which, of course, I hadn't. There was so much more that I wanted in my life and so much more that I wanted to do.
But lately I've come to realize that contentment is not the same as accepting my fate. Feeling content means that I am happy with the moment. I am mindful of what is around me and what surrounds me makes me feel good. It doesn't mean that I am settling, it means that I am accepting the gift of the moment. I can still continue to strive while enjoying what I have.
Letting go of this misconception has really changed how I create happiness in my life. Occasionally, while I am puttering about, I will think to myself, "I am content," and a feeling of warmth radiates through me. It is easier for me to accept contentment as a state of mind, than it is to believe that I am happy. I think that this is because of my misconception of happiness. I suppose to me happiness equals giddiness and since I rarely feel giddy, I thought I was never happy. Contentment on the other hand is different. Being content means that I feel good, which I have noticed is how I feel most of the time. How refreshing to finally understand that while I am not giddy with happiness, I am content and feel good. I am not settling, but I am able to accept the blessing of the moment. WOW!!
Now the definitions of happiness and contentment may be very different for you, but it has been very unburdening to finally understand how I felt about these words and how my perceptions were coloring my daily life. Do you feel there is a difference between happiness and contentment?
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