Phun-size Philosophy # 31 – Being Content

Being content means that you are in a sense satisfied with your environment and current position in life. You get a feeling that all is well with whatever you have tried to accomplish and thus you have probably achieved success or your actions have resulted in the level of success you are acceptable with or have expected. Being satisfied means you are pretty much happy with what you’ve got. Sometimes we think satisfaction in life is derived from monetary and material gains but that isn’t always the case. People are almost always driven to get the latest clothes to be in style or the next greatest videogame. There has to come a point though that you could live a happy and successful life without those material things. They can be great and I do believe at this day and age they have become a necessary and integral part of society but they aren’t always the best form to act as a medium for happiness. The thing with being content is that it can be hard at times to be pleased with your current environment. Whether it is chores or homework or studying, there is almost always something looming over you and they probably come with pressing concerns on the well being of your future. For instance, if you don’t study for a test you may fail and then ruin a grade for the class. When we are faced with obstacles and challenges like these it can be hard to say that you are satisfied with how things currently are playing out. You have to realize that you can’t always enjoy what is going on in your life but that is important because that contrast then helps define what you consider to be happiness. The worse things are going, the greater you will notice, recognize, and feel a positive action or change in your life. There is one negative that I feel is associated with being content and that is you may feel less obligated to strive for improvement because you have everything you could possible want in life. I think that regardless of how things are playing out in your favor, you should always try to exceed the current boundaries and restrictions placed on you by your surroundings. I think this is a very important part of life and if you are satisfied you may become complacent with you actions and not apply yourself and take advantage of all the great opportunities life has to offer. It’s kind of like saying I can settle for a cheap Kia but why should I settle for less if I know with hard work and determination I am capable of getting a Lamborghini.

-Allan Nicholas