Be Content Yet Never Satisfied

Many years ago a particular phrase came across my desk and caught my full attention. It was at first a bit confusing to me since the utterance seemed incongruent. The phrase was "Be Content Yet Never Satisfied!" Interestingly enough, as the years go by it becomes clearer to me that they are in fact truly different words with very different meanings. They are not as I first thought synonymous.

The phrase provoked a lot of questions which left me wondering. Did I derive great pleasure from my day to day occurrences or was I overlooking them? Did I acknowledge my successes and allow them to stay with me or was I consistently in search of more? I began to notice that many of my achievements left me with a deep sense of peace and accomplishment yet several were gone in the blink of an eye.

I then made an agreement with myself to sincerely practice noticing and enjoying my successes, reconsidering where I was putting my attention. I began to faithfully acknowledge how I felt each time I made even small accomplishments and made sure to jot them down in a notebook. Some of the accomplishments were very small but they were nonetheless accomplishments. I even observed whether I was patient or fearful when I didn't receive what I wanted immediately. It soon occurred to me how wonderful it was when I took the time to acknowledge the many delicious things that filled my life on a daily basis. I did not miss a moment or the opportunity to feel a sense of gratitude.

In my search I discovered a very fine line which could either turn my day into a more fulfilling, joyful experience or prevent me from having and owning a sense of pleasure. I observed after making that big sale or having achieved at any level, if the feeling of contentment left quickly or stayed with me. If I began noticing that it left quickly, I would stop for a moment and give greater recognition to my successes in a more conscious way. I found it helpful to remind myself of the accomplishment or attainment, which then allowed me some time to relish in my gratification. It truly felt wonderful. Instead of keeping my eyes only on more, I began enjoying the success of the day more fully.

As I fell asleep at night, I allowed the feelings of accomplishment to wash over me and I carried them into my dreams, becoming a part of my very essence. Having done that for a while now, I have come to believe that it's good to want more since life has a great deal to offer, and wants us to reach new heights of accomplishment. But most importantly, I also realized how often I missed the true meaning of contentment. It literally changed the way I view my life. Being so busy in search of more, I had often missed what was right there before me. I now take notice of what I had often taken for granted, and as a result it seems that more comes without struggle.