Decidedly Content
There’s an advert on at the moment advertising a new hair iron. Models are used to demonstrate its varied uses. The straight-haired lady shows us how to curl her hair and the curly-haired lady demonstrates the straightening function. I watched this advert and giggled to myself, wondering if dissatisfaction is an inherent part of the human condition.
I spent a week in Sydney and the Blue Mountains last week. We landed in Sydney to a cool 24 degrees, which brought great relief from the high thirty degrees we’d been experiencing in Perth. Little did we know that this week was to start the ‘record-breaking heatwave with temperatures of 40 degrees expected.’
The Sydneysiders however were experiencing an unhappy summer, with moans about the lack of blue skies with continued rainfall for months on end. But we were grateful with the weather, feeling more inclined to be outside and doing more things in the milder weather.
The Blue Mountains brought heavy mist and light rain, preventing us from seeing any of the mountains, let alone the famous picturesque Three Sisters. Our accommodation was in a great location nestled on the edge of it all, but was unable to deliver the promised views. This didn’t dampen our spirits though as we still enjoyed brisk walks in the soft drizzle along the mountain paths, especially knowing that being back home we’d be sweltering.
But how different would we have felt about this holiday had we not experienced this contrast from home? Would we then have been disappointed at not seeing the sights and doing all that would normally have been on offer (eg cable cars and train rides)?
Everything is relative. And very often we’ll only see things differently if we experience contrast.
To highlight this point further, on our last morning at breakfast one of the regular waitresses asked us whether we were heading home that day, and to where:
“I’m flying home to Perth this morning,” I replied.
“Ah, Perth!” she said, smiling broadly, “I see they’re having great weather there at the moment. Not like here.”
Yip, but try and tell the people in the heat that.
Changing your perspective on something is a first step towards contentment. There will always be a different take on the same situation ... The Sydneysiders wanting heat and the Perth people wanting a bit of respite from it.
Being content is a choice. A choice that comes from looking at things differently. If you keep looking at something the same way, you’ll keep feeling the same emotions towards it. What would happen if you consciously decided to look for the contrast and were able to make things relative all the time?
Perhaps people wouldn’t need to have the major life-changing accident or relationship disaster to learn the meaningful lessons in life such as gratitude, values, happiness or life purpose? What would happen if you could take a look at the small, everyday situations and see how a change in your perspective could alter your feelings about it?
When I speak of contrast or a change in perspective, I am not referring to looking over the fence to see if the grass is potentially greener on that side. Contentedness is a matter of being satisfied with what you have. You may be on a holiday with perceived lousy weather, but being present in it, you’ll enjoy it. I merely use the concepts of contrast or perspective-change as an introductory tool by which you can start to practice being content in your situation, no matter what. And remember, that contentment influences your happiness.
True contentment is a thing as active as agriculture. It is the power of getting out of any situation all that there is in it. It is arduous and it is rare.
Gilbert K. Chesterton
Submitted by Heidi Cornelissen
