Health Matters

www.drjimshealthtips.com By James W. Jones, MD, PhD, MHA

Get Confident that Betterment of Contentment is Triumphant

Goals in life are important and should be sensibly thought out, because attaining one’s goals contributes to life gaining purpose. And just what should our personal goals be? Frequently, they involve several themes including family, occupation, and affluence. But I would suggest achieving contentment with your life should be right at the uppermost. Contentment means to be satisfied or even pleased and proud with what you have done, your status in the world, and your personal surroundings (including things, but most importantly PEOPLE).

Contentment is important to relaxing one’s lifestyle and brings about pleasurable states. It is important to rethink your surroundings and overall lifestyle periodically, especially in these troubling Covid times, and to realize that most in the USA have an abundance of necessities to live a good life and be comfortable. MORE THAN ENOUGH.

If one has contentment, it does not mean giving up ambitions. Instead, it means focusing on the present, which is how you are presently living, and still having dreams for the future-but realizing dreams are imaginings. It does not mean being troubled that your present is not adequate. There are personalities which constantly need to have more. OH NO. enough to eat, comfortable surroundings with people you care about who care about you, and have health sufficient to live a meaningful life, then your present is sufficient and you should recognize the sufficiency in your present-day. Accepting your life is sufficient will allow you to receive contentment.

Decide if you have enough. Realize most of us actually have more than enough! We all should be asking what the ideal life is for us. If you have Don’t predetermine when your contentment will happen (such as basing your happiness on achieving certain goals and delaying it until the particular events happen). A good bit of our contentment becomes misplaced due to our childhood learning experiences. When positive happenings would occur, our parents or teachers would tell us to become pleased. Those teaching us focused on external dealings. But this behavioral arrangement limits the internal self from sustaining a pattern of contentment with our lives that makes our “self” a happier mostly satisfied person. In other words, don’t limit your satisfaction and internal rewards to future events which may not come about soon. If you need to limit some considerations, limit negative thoughts.

Contentment tells your inner emotional determining self, “You may and should be HAPPY because your present-day situation is superb.” Also, avoid any and all “what if” considerations. Some of the saddest people I have ever met believed life should be fair on their terms. “I have been good, and I don’t know why this could have happened” is a commonplace renouncement. Morality confers rewards and punishments, but only in an offhand manner. Being a wonderful, giving person is good, but doesn’t protect bad drivers or good people from bad drivers. Trust in God and or good fortune, but lock your car.