Contentment…. Such a refined word, one really needs to refine, redefine and restructure ones thought process to reach a State Of Contentment.
I love relating to stories or parables to get my point across, so here’s a story which will help us understand some home truths and help maneuver ourselves to find CONTENTMENT.
“Once a tourist met a fisherman on the coast of Goa.
Looking at the type of fish he had caught, the tourist asked him how long it took him to catch them.
“Not very long,” answered the fisherman.
“But then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the tourist.
The fisherman explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The tourist asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?
“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, spend time with my family and friends.”
The tourist interrupted, “I have an MBA from IIM-A, I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.”
“And after that?” asked the fisherman.
“With the extra money, the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to some other city. From there you can direct your huge new enterprise.”
“How long would that take?” asked the fisherman.
“Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years,” replied the tourist.
“And after that?”
“Afterwards? Well my friend, that’s when it gets really interesting,” chuckled the tourist, “When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!”
“Millions? Really? And after that?” asked the fisherman.
“After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, spend time with your friends and family”
“With all due respect sir, but that’s exactly what I am doing now. So what’s the point wasting twenty-five years?” asked the fisherman.’
Most of us reading this story may already be done with our ‘twenty-five year’ success plan and are now ready to fish, play with our grand children, and meet family and friends.
The questions;
. Did I live my life with contentment?
. Was I so busy with my success plan, I did not even stop to ask myself, ‘am I content?’
. Did life feel good? (at least most of the time)
. How did I affect the people in my life?
. Did I receive the praise and bouquets I expected?
Today,
. Am I living with contentment? Or am I living with regret?
. Am I doing what I want to do?
. If not, what is stopping me right now?
. If time and money dont matter, what would I spend my days doing?
. How do the things I want to do benefit others?
. Am I afraid of anyone or anything?
NOW,
Shut your eyes.
Take a deep breath.
Look within your own life to find some home truths.
The reflection;
To bring contentment to ones soul;
. Stop trying to change others, focus on changing yourself.
. Understand that everyone is right in one’s own perspective.
. In relationships, give for the sake of giving with no expectations in return.
. Stop comparing your life and journey to others, instead, be at peace with yourself.
. When you know how to differentiate between a ‘need’ and a ‘want’ and are able to LET GO of the wants (material things), you will bring much comfort to your soul.
. Stop the need for proving to the world and looking for their approval, instead understand that whatever you do is for your own inner self.
Living with ‘regret’ is worse than any other emotion you could plant on your soul.
Do not waste time on what cannot be undone.
I often ask myself the question, in five years from now, will this matter?
My answer comes therein!
Living with contentment like most other life skills, comes with diligence and daily practice until it becomes second nature.
Lets wave the flag to focusing on a life of contentment,
1-Release regret
2-Focus on adding what brings contentment to your soul.
Go after that.
It’s the only thing that will matter five years from now and a path that will make you a better story.
