11/12/2021
It's in the nature of people to always aspire for more. To want more, achieve more—it never stops. We are never contented, that's the right way to describe it.
There is actually nothing wrong with the desire for constant improvement, further accomplishments, and the goal to always be better than before. But sometimes, this lack of contentment may put us into risk of our happiness being stolen.
In our continuous desire for more, we forget the reason why, and it leads us to just compete with others, to be better than them, to be at the top. We tend to sometimes forget the fact, that there will always be someone ahead of us in other areas, no matter how hard we try.
I am talking about the bad side of not being contented. For example, there are some people who are more suited for this kind of life, but because they aren't contented, they risk their lives, their well-beings, to achieve something they know aren't for them. Others go as far as hurting other people, using dirty tactics, and involving others' lives, too, just so they can achieve what they say "their happiness". The truth is, after that, they'll want more. They will desire to fly higher than the height they're already at, not minding the dangers they'd bring to themselves and to others as well.
I remember the story of Icarus who desired of flying higher than where his wings could only bring him, and that caused his ultimate end. His wax wings ended up being melted, in other stories, burned, by the sun, because he flew too high, and no one could stop him.
Whenever people become so greedy for more, they close their eyes, and ears. They just see what they wanna see, and only listen to what's favorable to their ideas. They ignore and forget the concern of the people that love them.
We are not a stranger to stories about empires, where an undeserving prince wrongly desires to be the king. This caused bloodshed, and further division of a kingdom.
It can be material things, or immaterial ones. It's mostly money, or power. Some people become too hungry for money or power, that they don't notice they are going into the wrong path.
I have come to realize that a contented life, is a happy life. It's when you feel that everything's okay, and you don't want anything else anymore. To us, it may sound impossible to be in a complete state of contentment. But, if we at least try, we can train ourselves to be satisfied even in some other areas of our lives, that can still make a positive change.
A thankful heart is one of the major keys to contentment. Person A maybe happy and satisfied living a simple life, as long as he is healthy and secure, unlike Person B who has all the riches but still can't sleep at night thinking about the opportunities he misses whenever he takes a rest. Person A may be appreciative of little, yet incredible things, such as being able to eat three square meals a day, while Person B may be ungrateful of an expensive dish served to him. It is a matter of perspective, of seeing the good in things, when others take it for granted.
It's sometimes hard to be grateful in ALL circumstances, especially when we're undergoing hardships. But then again, we can try. I remember back then how I let my self succumb to negative emotions when I got positive for the virus. It's difficult to be thankful—I mean, am I supposed to be grateful I got sick?
But then, thanks to God, He reminded me about the good sides of the situation. Because of that, I got the rest I've always wanted. I got to give more time to write, and to do other things I like to do. I got to read some articles due to increased time. One of the blogs I came across is something about being grateful for many things.
I tried doing that one in some old blogs of mine. In there, I listed things I am thankful about. My blogging journey, the good health of my loved ones, and more.
During these trying times, I tried to have a better outlook about things. I realized, there are still things worthy to be thankful about.
Our Pastor used to make us do this simple activity. In this one, we should list all of the negative things that we are experiencing now. On the other side, we're also asked to list down all the blessings we get everyday, even we don't ask for it. I have listed more blessings than the bad things. Some of the good things are the following:
Woke up this morning;
We have a house we can stay in;
My family is complete;
We have wonderful pets that make us happy;
Our finances, though not much, are still enough to sustain us everyday, etc.
This activity reminded us, that we are very blessed more than we recognize ourselves to be.
Love of Money
One of the sources of greed and lack of contentment is the love for money. They say "Money is the root of all evil." It is wrong. Excessive love of money is.
It's not wrong to like money. It is important for everyone. We won't be aiming to get wealthy if we don't want money. I personally like money. And I am always working to earn and save it.
Money is supposed to serve us, not the other way around. You must have heard these quote already, "Let your money work for you."
We use money to buy the things we need (and want). Thus, it is indeed vital for our lives. But let's not let our world revolve around money. Due to this, we'd have a risk of not seeing things more valuable than money. Other people who are already really, filthy rich still aren't contented, that's how it works. When they get into a stage they've been working hard for, they aim for the next level. Nothing's wrong with that, let me say that again, except when it's the only thing that rules our lives. Desires that knows no bounds can be an early sign of greed. And too much greed is dangerous. We will go back to the thing mentioned earlier, it steals the real value of happiness.
Final Thoughts
We can be confident that God owns everything in this world. We have a Father that holds everything in His hands, and that can provide us absolutely everything we need.
If we just put our trust in Him, we can feel the assurance that we'll never be short of anything. We'll never lack. Our Father is the greatest Provider, and another thing we also have to remember: He knows what we need, always. He loves us and He is always willing to give us the desires of our hearts.
What we have to learn about this is the sense of balance in everything. It's a sign of a good character to always aim for more. As long as we can still progress, why not? It's what makes our lives more beautiful and exciting. Let's just keep in mind that the desire for more should be for our good in the long run, and not to destruct us in the end.
Don't be satisified in everything when you know you can be more. But don't get too greedy to the point that it will rule our lives. Such life will only exhaust us, and make us regret in some point. A life without the right amount of satisfaction is a lonely life.
Thanks a lot for reading! And also... ehem! Thanks in advance for considering to sponsor me. 😉 I will do my best to not disappoint you.
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We need money, too much and being greedy is a downfall, but we need it to survive. The older I get the less I want and need and own less and less hehe and am happier and happier