Imagine yourself stuck on a deserted island, alone, with nothing to eat or drink. Sure, your instinct would be to find ways to survive. You’d probably build yourself a makeshift shelter, and feed on whatever vegetation is at your disposal. But more than surviving, you want to live and be happy. You then do a Tom Hanks and make a friend out of a volleyball…
Whether on a deserted island or in the city, everybody wants to live a happy and contented life. We all yearn for days and nights of worry-free bliss.
But even if you find yourself with countless blessings to supposedly be thankful for, why do you still hanker for more? You’ve got a stable job which pays the bills, but why do you find yourself still looking for job listings on eurostaffgroup ?
It’s probably human nature to always want more. The “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” mentality seems to be helplessly ingrained in us.
We instinctively think that by amassing more of anything- wealth, possessions, etc- we will end up happier. But the thing is, the key to real happiness and contentment is in eliminating the things we don’t need. It lies in simplifying our lives.
Things inevitably become too complicated when we have too many things on our plate. We end up feeling overwhelmed and helpless. When we get rid of the excess, we cut down on the things we have to worry about. Then, we become more content with what we already have.
This “life detox” encompasses many aspects. Starting with the physical, we try to eliminate what we don’t need. Sell that second car if you don’t really need it.
On the emotional level, do a detox by getting rid of “friends” who do nothing but put you down. Slowly sever ties with those who constantly send off negative vibes. Don’t take that second job if it’ll only make you more stressed out.
Contentment and happiness do not have to forever be an unattainable dream for us. By simplifying our lives, we’ll be able to view things with a more open mind, and then realize that the reasons to be happy have been there all along.
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I guess it is a human nature to not to be contented in life. There are still something missing no matter what.
There will be always room for improvement. A space for making things a bit more better. Agree that indeed it is a human kind of traits to want or need for more.
Personally, I need a major outlook overhaul when it comes to contentment. I just always end up thinking that things could be better, instead of just being thankful for what I already have. Yes, simplifying our lives is a baby step in working towards true contentment and happiness.
Agree, it is like a kind of gamble or gambling. We are winning a lot but we end up wanting to win more but in the end, we are loosing it all. Great analogy on your part!
We always say that once we get something, we will be contented but humans rarely honor that promise. It is not bad to want something better but we should not forget the best of what we already have.
Making the most out of what we have is one good tip. I think, if people will just believe and follow this kind of mantra, then contentment can be achieved.
that is something that we should all practice. Many people these days live up to the worldly standard where they had to force themselves to compete with other people though they know they can’t even afford to have. they want to fit-in the society of fool so to speak. We should be happy with what have and STOP acquiring those things we dont really need.
Yes, forcing our selves to get or reach those things that are unnecessary is kinda over the top. I think, we have to get or reach what we really need, not only because we wanted it.
Yes! that is human’s nature to find the best and strive for more 🙂 Adventures never stop until you reach that final destination of your dreams. We never get contented 🙂
Plus one for your comment. We won’t be contented until we reach our goals and dreams (goals and dreams is never ending).
Accepting, loving life and contentment are keys to a happy life. But as humans, we tend to seek for more and don’t seem to be contented at all. Simplicity is being happy and being happy means living a long healthy life. 🙂 And also, spoiled na kasi ang mga tao these days kaya wala nang contenment in life. That is why every summer we love to travel to the mountains and be away from it all and be closer to mother nature. We like to detox ourselves from techonology, the convenience of life and just be in the middle of somewhere up in the mountains in a tent enjoying nothing, but the simple things in life with the family. To us, that is life detoxification. 🙂
Very well said. Nice to know you guys do have times like that, traveling far from the city and spending more time with the family. I think, I can’t live a week without my computer and internet is on.
Indeed it is human nature to always ask for more and not be contented. This is why I always do a check and balance with my life and be thankful of all that I have all the time.
I think it’s all fall down to goal setting. But sometimes, upon reaching our goals, more goals are being written down for us to reach no matter what.
As a human we want to have more than we have.Sometimes,we do not have satisfaction in life.When we have so much.we doesn’t appreciate it.Let us simplified things and thankful for all the things we have.
But the fact is, we can’t have it all. But people (including me), tend to disregard that thought. We just keep on pushin and hustlin until we reach our goals.
This reminds me of what my teacher in high school said – “The more you receive, the more you want”. Living a simple life right now, having the things that I only need, i can say i live in contentment. And only in being contented is where you can find real happiness.
Agree with that thought of the more your receive and the more you want. But I have to add that you tend to spend much more than normal. Experienced it before.
So true. There are rich people who are not happy even if they have everything.
I think it’s human nature to yearn for more than what they have. But if they’ll concentrate on what they don’t have, then they won’t know how it feels like to be contented.
Agree. It’s a human kind of thought, a typical and normal one. And yes people put much energy on things they don’t have rather than leveraging the things they have to get more in life.
Your post made me reflect on my life. I agree that in order to be happy, we have to simplify our lives and accept the fact that we can’t have all the things that we want, there are people better and lesser than we are and no two persons can have the same life.
Truly we can’t have it all. But I think, there is no harm in trying specially if you wanted to really reach your goals.
All people have different lives. Let us not be envious of other people’s lives.
it’s a human nature to ask for more. According to successful people, to be able to reach our goals, we don’t have to settle and contented on what we have today. We have to take risks, intelligent risks.!
Those who are contented with their lives are usually the happiest people.