I failed to be content, will you?

Paul makes a statement that is often quoted but rarely understood. I have learned to be content. This vastly underrated phrase is at the very heart of the discord in our lives. We are not content. We are not able to enjoy where we are in life.

Paul learned to be content with his situation, wither he was in need or had all he wanted. His situation did not dictate his ability to enjoy who and where he was. And yes this was something he learned, something that took time for him to understand and apply. This implies that contentedness is something we too can learn. We too can have a life where we can enjoy being us.

Am I saying we should not try to improve our work or seek to be better at what we do? No. I am saying we need to live life in the now and not always wait for the “when I have arrived”. I see very few people who are content with who they are. You are not your education level. You are not your job. You are not how much money you make. You are not who you hang out with. You are you; an amazing sum of talents and traits that have been joined to create a unique you. You are something so complex that it will take your entire life to truly grasp all you actually are.

We all have seen the movie or read the article of the sports athlete who was injured and lost a very promising career. It was necessary for them to recreate the image they had of themselves an image with different goals. The truth never changes we are us not what we do. If you have not lived up to your potential quite yet, fine, keep striving but do not forget to enjoy who you are now. Contentedness is not a mandate to stop improving; it is the ability to enjoy being you regardless of your situation.