Learning to Be Content

By: Ruth Vonderohe, Extension Educator, Knox County

Then let us, one and all, be contented with our lot;
The June is here this morning, and the sun is shining hot;
Oh! let us fill our hearts up with the glory of the day,
And banish ev'ry doubt and care and sorrow far away.
By: James Whitcomb Riley

Discontent is woven into the fabric of our daily life. We eat breakfast and wonder why our usual cereal tastes bland. Driving to work, we find our attention drifting to the houses that seem nicer than our own or the beautiful vacation spots advertised on billboards. At the office, we listen jealously as a coworker talks about weekend adventures after we just spent one doing errands.  By the time we get home, a dark cloud of accumulated resentments and regrets has overtaken us.

Our consumer culture with its omnipresent advertising pitches is designed to make us always want something more, better, or different. Even in times of national emergency, we are told to go out and shop, as if that will make us feel better.

How can we practice contentment?

• Want what you have. This is a basic gratitude practice. Don't take your possessions for granted. Every day acknowledge what just one tool or object means to you and how it improves your life. Make a list of other things you are grateful for at the end of the day, and include thanksgiving moments in your prayers.

• Don't make comparisons. Many of us go through the day comparing our situation with another's, and inevitably, it seems, we come up short. Instead focus on what is unique about you — your God-given talents and gifts. Then whenever you fall into the comparisons trap, say to yourself, "Oh, there I go again, making silly comparisons."

• Accept your imperfections and the "lacks" in your life. Nobody is perfect, and few people get everything they want or even all they need.