Happiness and Contentment

For many adults happiness is achieved when a set of thoughts, feelings or emotions, as well as certain circumstances, are satisfactorily aligned and they can then say “I’m happy”.

However, with the way life is, happiness can quickly disappear as your thoughts, feelings and emotions continually change with time. In addition, there are the complexities of life that present challenges and adversities we often have to overcome; such as a divorce, losing your job, or a bereavement, etc. Therefore, it is a big ask of each person to continuously feel happy. For many, happiness is a fleeting encounter; a brief occurrence in time that soon fades away.

So where does that leave us?

Well, usually with the routine realities of our life! Depending on the person and the type of events and experiences they have endured so far, this may be a very unpleasant time. Without the high of feeling happy, they can drop into a low; this is any combination of unpleasant thoughts, feelings and/or emotions. Lows can be full of guilt, regret, anger, jealousy, sadness, or disappointment, etc. Quite often it is recognised as having the blues and the impact and effects can range from mild to severe.

At other times we can get stuck in a rut with low energy, which is also quite common and can be tiring to deal with. For some people, their low can take them much deeper and they may suffer depression and/or many other unpleasant, even nasty/hateful thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Hence, it is understandable that we seek to rid ourselves of such pain and unpleasantness and instead desire to be happy. This is a normal and healthy human behaviour and of course it’s not wrong to want to be happy, but, it is a very misleading direction to take, due to it being an event in time which quickly passes.

This path to happiness we are led along comes from the way society has formulated it’s remedy to unhappiness. As well, there are many terms and conditions that people feel the need to keep up with to fit the approval and acceptance of others. While all of this is ok, it could be considered short-sighted and very often leads a person around in circles, which can be quite frustrating, unfulfilling and many other things!

Contentment

Another way to approach life is to take a different path, one of finding contentment. To be content is to be comfortable and at ease with yourself. It could be described as building a solid foundation on which you can live your live with an inner sense of comfort. Perhaps where you feel at home, at peace, or safe and secure within yourself.

Taking this approach can help bring your body, mind and true-self into alignment as you journey along your own path, learning how to take care of yourself and deciding on your true wants and needs, likes, dislikes and preferences. It is not easy, but it is not difficult either. As well, it is not without obstacles to get over and challenges to face.

However, being content can bring inner stability with flexibility so when fun and happy times come along there can be all the enjoyment with much less severe knock-on effects. Think of it as more like an ebb and flow, than big highs and lows.