Question

article on Being Content in Life

Answer 1

We've all had the feeling before. You know that you have everything to be thankful for: a great significant other, a loving family, a pretty good job, and a healthy working body. Still, you keep having this nagging feeling that what you have just isn't enough. Sure, you can be happier by making some life changes, but the easiest way to be content with your life is to adjust your perspective and daily actions, which will make you more likely to appreciate what you have. So how do you start enjoying that sunshine instead of complaining about sunburn? Follow these steps.
1

Live in the present. The people who are the happiest with their lives are able to enjoy and embrace the present moment instead of being stuck on the past or obsessing over the future will look like. Though thinking of the past can help us learn from our mistakes and thinking of the future can help you set goals and be a good long-term planner, if you want to be happy with what you do have, then take some time to enjoy exactly what you're doing right now. Focus on what the day will bring you instead of what happened yesterday or what you'll be able to change about tomorrow. Close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Focus on being in the moment and you'll feel all of your worries melt away. Be patient: this takes practice.You can also meditate or do yoga to help yourself focus on the present moment instead of worrying about what the future may bring.

2

Be grateful for what you have. Instead of focusing on all the things you don't have or all of the things you want, take a minute to think about how lucky you are compared to most people out there. Though your life may not be perfect in the moment, there are surely some things that you can be very grateful for, whether it's your loving family, your amazing friends, your great relationship, your health, your cool new job, the awesome city where you live, or your amazing home. You probably don't have all of these things (most people don't!) but surely there are a few things you can remind yourself to be grateful for every single day.Write a gratitude list every Sunday to remind yourself of all the great things in your life.Take the time to thank people for helping you, whether you do it in person or you write a "thank you" card.Spend more time in nature. This will make you feel more grateful for the beauty all around you.

3

Appreciate the little things. Be thankful for the air you breathe, the food that nourishes you, the quiet home you live in, the sunshine that brightens up your day. Every little detail in your life counts. Focus on those little things and be thankful that you are still alive. You could focus on the love of your pet, the amazing bakery down the street that spruces up your breakfasts, the perfect climate in your region, or your awesome library with an endless supply of books. It doesn't have to be anything earth shattering, but it does have to make you realize how much happiness is all around you.Even if you've had a horrible day, try to think of three little things that made it worthwhile. Maybe it was the unexpected kind email from an old friend, a great conversation with your neighbor, or the amazing new coffee you had with your breakfast.
4

Take time to reflect. A lot of people aren't content with their lives because they don't take the time to sit back and consider everything that's going on. You can do this by writing in a journal at the end of each day or week, going on long walks to decompress, or just by sitting still, staring out at nature, and considering everything that happened to you that day. This doesn't mean you should mope, over-think things, or consider all of the things that went wrong. Instead, you should take the time to rationally assess everything that's going on with your life.Making a habit of reflecting will help you think rationally when a problem arises and will keep you from being blind-sided by problems that are lurking in your life.