The Simply Luxurious Life®: True Contentment  

November 15, 2010

True Contentment


“After a while, you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul.  And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning and company doesn’t mean security. And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts and presents aren’t promises.  You begin to accept your defeats.

With your head up and your eyes open. With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child. And you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow is too uncertain for plans.  And futures have a way of falling down in midflight.  And after a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.  And you learn that you really can endure . . . that you really are strong.  That you really do have worth . . . and you learn . . . and you learn . . .”
-Anonymous

Again, I am reminded of how lessons continue to repeat themselves until we are ready to learn, until we are willing to learn in some cases.  The particular quote above was one that was given to me by a friend over ten years ago.  At the time, I understood it superficially, but I can honestly say, I didn’t want to accept what it had to say at its core.  As I was going through some old folders a couple of weeks ago, I happened upon it again, and this time I was ready for the lesson.

Whether taught in your familial culture, social culture, religious culture or any other type of culture you grew up in, many of us, including myself, grew up with the notion, the belief, that we weren’t enough. 

Please don’t misunderstand, I have amazing, supportive parents, but the social culture I grew up in reinforced that idea I needed something or someone else to attain completion - that happiness was somewhere out in the future, and I would have to chase it down or let someone bring it to me.  

Thankfully, what I have learned is that neither are correct.

Here is the lesson I learned: Contentment, not happiness, is what should be the goal. Contentment, therefore, is the responsibility of each person to seek for themselves.  No one can give us true contentment.  No one can hand it to us on a platter, and voilà, contentment commences to be felt for all eternity. No contract, professionally or personally, establishes an infinite amount of contentment in our lives.

Contentment comes into fruition when each one of us does the work for ourselves.  When we take the time to investigate, to be the detectives of who we uniquely are, when we take the time to listen, really listen to what our internal voice is telling us, and when we don’t take the easy road out, numbing ourselves with addictions or other bad behaviors, but instead, get down, lean forward and take on the challenge of discovering what makes our souls sing.

It is after finding contentment that you can fully, completely and healthily be in a relationship void of co-dependency. It is after finding contentment that you can truly live in the moment, knowing your boundaries, having the discipline to say no when for you it is necessary and having the acceptance of realizing that not everything lasts forever.  After all, once we’ve learned the lesson, the teacher lets go, so that we can move closer to our best life.

So today, take a moment to look within and ask yourself if you are expecting something else or someone else to make you happy.  And the best thing you can do is to be honest when you respond because that will be the first step toward finding your very own, hard fought for and much deserved, contentment.

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11 Comments:

At November 15, 2010 at 4:55 AM , Blogger Hermine said...

I honestly cannot begin to tell you how many times i've read this particular post just so i can digest every word of it. I have to come back and read it again because it resonates with me really well. And it sits so well with my belief of creating a life of joy and contentment without feeling the need of someone extra. I feel like those are just bonuses to add to a well balanced life. Another fab post from you

I've missed so much due to exams so i have to come back later and do a catch up read

xoxo Hermine
www.thegirlinacashmeredaze.blogspot.com

 
At November 15, 2010 at 5:22 AM , Blogger City Girl (EC1) said...

A lovely post and beautiful blog! Am now following :) xx
http://citygirldiariesec1.blogspot.com/

 
At November 15, 2010 at 5:28 AM , Blogger Unknown said...

ohhhh contentment - what a crazy thing - i went to buy my sectional this weekend to find it was 3X's as much as i thought - was bummed - then today my Mom is having her breat cancer removed - brought me RIGHT back to reality - and how "contentment" is all i need - not over the top!!!

 
At November 15, 2010 at 7:10 AM , Blogger Lissa Pierce said...

Such an amazing quote! And very good advice on another layer of finding the real you. Thanks for such a great post!

 
At November 15, 2010 at 8:23 AM , Blogger Antique ART Garden said...

First time I saw your blog today. Very true, happiness is fleeting , and life is very uncertain.Looking towards other people to make us happy is one of all our biggest weaknesses. You included many helpful suggestions, just forgot to include looking UP, to God..and not so much at ourselves.take care, Gina

 
At November 15, 2010 at 8:40 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you. Finally somebody who speaks about Contentment. When I try to speak about what I think is one of the most important things in our life, it seems that there is just the wind that understands me + a few among many :(
jasmina

 
At November 15, 2010 at 9:21 AM , Blogger Maria Dermengiu said...

lovely quote and post! just lovely :) hugs,Maria

 
At November 15, 2010 at 9:43 AM , Blogger Fiona Ferris said...

I am a big fan of 'contentment' too. It simply works.

 
At November 15, 2010 at 11:08 AM , Blogger Connie @ SogniESorrisi said...

I completely agree! And that quote is one I've read over and over since I was a teenager. So beautiful.

For one I think that being happy is a choice people make. There are a lot of things that can bring you down and you need to choose to look at the positive rather than the negative.

Second, I think being content has gotten a bad rap. I've found that you can be really, blissfully happy for moments--and you should embrace them--but overall contement is what will carry you through.

 
At November 15, 2010 at 11:49 AM , Blogger FRANKIE HEARTS FASHION said...

"Contentment comes into fruition when each one of us does the work for ourselves." I think we so often forget that we ourselves are in control of our destiny and it takes work to get there....love this post. Thanks so much for the inspiration.

 
At October 21, 2012 at 1:59 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think the quote is actually a poem written by Ben Okri a veryvery talented Nigerian poet and novelist.
Thanks for reminding me of it!!

 

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