Contentment

I was drawn to this quote this morning.

“Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get.”

W P Kinsella – and we'll have more on William later, because there’s a surprise in store.

I’d like to take William’s words further.

“Success is getting what you want;

“Happiness is wanting what you get;

“Contentment is wanting what you’ve got;

“Wisdom is celebrating what you’ve had.”

This is an interesting shift for me in rewiring my brain.

I’ve spent most of my adult life immersed in the doctrine of dreaming BIGGER, bolder, brighter, better.  I’ve been like a restless dog pulling on its leash, straining to reach what lies ahead.  

I still believe in dreaming.  But if that dreaming means that I am not yet content in the present, it is a distraction - not a desire that brings blessing.

How much better, (if I am to be a dog!), to pause and smell the world around me – to take an inordinate amount of time savouring whatever delicious scent I discover at each stage of the journey.  I may frustrate those around me who want to go faster, but I, at least will be content.

'Contentment' cf. 'Comfort'

‘Contentment’ is different to ‘comfort’.  Comfort can hold us back from becoming the best that we can be.  Comfort says, “This is enough… quit working.”  Contentment says, “This is enough… keep working.”  Work becomes the delight and joy of the Contented One – enabling them to do meaningful work for the right reasons, and to enjoy Life to the full.  It also becomes a way to ascend to a greater vision that transcends the terminally destructive obsession with one’s self.

I’d like to see if you, too, get excited by my bigger, brighter, bolder, better vision and then return to how I learned to practice contentment ‘in the moment’ as I continued to rewire my brain this morning.

A BIGGER, Brighter, Bolder, Better Vision

The vision that is BIGGER than me is to restore humankind to their role of being good-stewards of the Earth.  That's what 'being' a Human Being means to me. I don’t know enough to assert that the Planet can be saved but I do know we can do a better job, on a BIGGER scale, to create a brighter future, if we take bold steps today.

17 Reasons to Live for

Breaking that down into a more manageable framework, I believe in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.  I believe in working towards...

1)    A Society where there is No Poverty.  I understand that Jeff Bezos now has a sufficient wealth to wipe out the debts of several countries.  Elon Musk is close behind him and has possibly already overtaken him.  Both are strongly focused on getting off this Pearl of a Planet.  I believe we already have all the resources here on Earth to eliminate poverty, period. Exploring Space is very exciting; saving the Planet is more so.

2)    A Society where there is No Hunger.  Once again, I believe we have all the resources here on Earth right now to eliminate hunger and encourage sustainable production.

3)    Good Health and Well-Being – a more complex goal but one that must be nurtured by removing the financial and social barriers to good healthcare. Perhaps it is time for Big Pharma to redistribute some of the benefits of creating 'customers for life' instead of cures.

4)    Quality Education – utterly, utterly within our reach – for every child… and adult.

5)    Gender Equality – a choice away.  If we evolve up and away from an ancient myth of ‘might is right’ and move through to a fresh paradigm of true gender equality, much harm will be prevented and much wealth realised.

6)    Clean Water and Sanitation – a massive challenge yet arguably the source of all Life on Earth.

7)    Affordable and Clean Energy – even though those who have built ‘unnecessary wealth’ on Oil and Gas will resist to the end.

8)    Decent Work and Economic Growth.

I’ll pause here a moment for a thought from the Poet Rumi

“Everyone has been made for a particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.”  

Whether this is true or not, it is a useful paradigm to adopt in rewiring the brain.  When we pursue work to which we are naturally suited, we can find a blissful state of contentment called ‘Flow’ where the hours fade away in the joy of working... and we become sustainably productive.

Two Steps to Career Contentment

This is why I encourage people to do two things as early on in their career as possible.  The first is to take ‘The Contribution Compass’ assessment to show the natural direction their work should head in for them to make maximum contribution and gain maximum satisfaction.  The second is to take ‘The Motivational Map’ assessment every time their life’s circumstances go through a transition.  Motivation is the drive that keeps us going in the right direction.  Natural direction, natural drive.

Metaphorically, the Human Race has been racing down the M4 corridor as fast as possible… which is fine if we want to go from London to Wales or from Wales to London.  But what if the Planet needs us to head true North?  The right direction for the Planet (and thus for us too as passengers on Spaceship Earth) is towards sustainability and contentment… not towards more wealth and consumption.

Decent work is work that we are naturally predisposed towards.  Economic growth is a more thorny issue!  When will we evolve beyond consumerism as an engine of economic growth?

9)    Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – by which I and the United Nations mean ‘sustainable’ industry, innovation, and infrastructure.  Green Industry and Innovation is exciting… oh, and it is very 'down to Earth'!

10) Reduced Inequalities.  I notice the UN pull the punches here where compared with the rhetoric of Oxfam!  Let’s just say that the gap between rich and poor is a threat to Global Peace and Well-Being.  It is in the interests of the Wealthy to nurture the needs of the Poor. When this is neglected famine and war emerge.

11) Sustainable Cities and Communities.  This should be every Architect’s dream!  As someone who has rented all my life, I now know how evil long-term renting is – it is totally detrimental to the financial health of those who rent.  This is a small example of how we need to change.  Everyone should own a roof over their heads. When rent matches or exceeds the mortgage the 'landlord' is paying, there is something seriously, seriously wrong with our Society's paradigms of how to build sustainable wealth.

12) Responsible Consumption and Production.  If you need evidence that enough is enough, it has been projected that by 2050, we would need three Earths to sustain the generalised lifestyle of our current population.  That’s potentially within my lifetime and certainly within that of my children and grandchildren.  Consumption and production paradigms and behaviours must change.  And for those who wonder if I’ve gone way off topic – I believe I am still talking about ‘Contentment’.  We must learn to be content with what we have (in the richer Nations) and delight in and be content with sharing growth with those who do not have.

13) Climate Action… and if you don’t believe in the CO2 threat (50% increase since 1990) then this really isn’t the article (or Planet) for you.

14) Life Below Water.  I grew up entranced, entertained, and engaged by Jacques Cousteau and the wonders of the Oceans… which may well end up wrapped in plastic.  Our Coral Reefs are bleaching and dying, our Oceans are polluted, our food is depleted… the lungs of the Planet are in trouble… Billions of people depend upon the Oceans for their livelihood. We all depend upon them for our air.

15) Life on Land represents the other part of our means-to-survive.  Forests and Jungles are our other set of lungs.  Biodiversity is our hope for Health and Well-Being.  Forests are essential to our future. Before there were animals on land, there were trees - trees made the way for animal life on land, and now they sustain the way for animal life on Earth.

16) Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.  We are (generally) a collaborative species.  There must be rules and strong institutions to keep us just and fair and functioning as a Society.  (If you say, “Lex, you mean ‘Societies’ surely?” I would suggest that Fukushima and Chernobyl have demonstrated that the paradigms and behaviours of one society affect all societies on our Planet.  I believe we would do well to begin to see ourselves as United Nations – One Global Society.

17) Partnerships – meaning people like you and me who share similar beliefs in what is important, working together meaningfully to promote a Global Paradigm Shift in favour of the Planet and its Passengers.

OK, ‘detour’ over… except it wasn’t a detour, it was the flyover to Contentment.  Ecology – how everything affects everything else – should be a priority in the curriculum of everyone’s education – young and old.  It is our future we are considering.

Practising Contentment in the Moment

Have you, too, got excited by the bigger, brighter, bolder, better vision?  Let’s return to how I learned to practice contentment ‘in the moment’ as I continued to rewire my brain this morning.

I’ve been ill, since childhood, with persistent stomach problems.  Sometimes, it is difficult to get comfortable enough to sleep well.  Last night was OK, but this morning I found a comfortable position when it was time to get up!  My ‘need to achieve’ shouted in my head, “Get up, you’ve got tons to do… don’t be lazy.”  This is true.  I’ve lots of promises to keep that require time and effort.  However, a deeper part of me asked me to pause and think.

If you have ever rushed through a meal – perhaps because you’ve got stuff you need to be getting on with – you’ll know what it is like to lose touch with this deeper wisdom.  The deeper wisdom says, “Press pause and really taste and smell what you’re eating.  Take time between mouthfuls. Savour the flavours.”

I did the equivalent of this in bed.  Jesus said, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”  I don’t think He was suggesting having somewhere to lay your head was a bad thing – quite the opposite!  He'd given up that fundamental human need to pursue a bigger mission. Last night, I had somewhere to lay my head.  This morning, I appreciated it – deeply.

I thought about the pillows that were required to discover and sustain this comfortable position.  I considered the firm yet yielding mattress and the cleanliness of the cotton sheets.  I seriously wondered if many people in earlier generations have had the opportunity to enjoy such luxury.  I’m convinced it’s a better bed that Solomon probably enjoyed!  Later, I will enjoy the Shower – a modern luxury that is far too easily missed as a moment of bliss. I will also 'enjoy' the luxury of an inside toilet.

Here’s the punchline.  It took time and thought to realise that in those moments I was ‘Content’.  Was I happy?  No – there are far too many issues to address at the moment to feel 'happy' – but I was ‘Content’.  I could say with all congruence,

“This is enough.”

From that position of ‘Contentment’ I began to quietly review many of the highlights of my life.  Here’s the second punchline to the story: all of them were experiences and not ‘stuff’.

Let's remind ourselves of the expanded 'Signature Quote'.

“Success is getting what you want;

“Happiness is wanting what you get;

“Contentment is wanting what you’ve got;

“Wisdom is celebrating what you’ve had.”

I want you to feel ‘Content’ with your life and yet remain dedicated to working meaningfully for change for the benefit of all of us and our Natural History.  May I invite you to ‘Press-Pause’ for a few moments today and be ‘Content’ with what you already have.  Say, “Thanks!” for this if you are this way inclined… then go, plant a tree!

The Delightful Surprise from W P Kinsella

At the beginning of this article, I promised to return to W P Kinsella.  The name rang a bell but I couldn’t remember from whence!  Thankfully, we have Wikipedia!

William Patrick Kinsella OC OBC was a Canadian writer – of both novels and short stories.  For most people, he is well known for the film adaptation of one of his novels.  The novel was, “Shoeless Joe.”  The film was, “Field of Dreams.”

“Field of Dreams,” is one of the most important and influential films I have ever loved.  Thus I close with an adaptation of one of the film’s quotes:

“If we build the future, it will come.”

Afterthought

After I'd read through and edited this article a number of times, I thought, "What if the reader asks, 'Lex, what can I do?"

There are four easy to take actions.

1. Check out B1G1.com - an organisation that puts giving up front and central for any ethical entrepreneurial thinker. All the 'impacts' that B1G1 facilitates are tied into the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
2. Practice four mintues' peace. Press Pause and reflect on what you are content with, right here, right now. If you fancy eight minutes' peace, go back in your memories to re-savour the good experiences you've had in life... you might be surprised how long the trip takes and how quickly the time passes.
3. Discover the best direction for you to make maximum contribution during your time on Planet Earth! Take the Contribution Compass assessement with my guidance, and then let's have a debrief focused on your future well-being.
4. Get the right fuel. Motivational Mapping is fascinating. Most team leaders guess the wrong motivators for their team members! Many people get their own motivators wrong. Completing the Motivational Map instrument with me will make certain you get the right fuel for your journey ahead. Imagine the relief, or even the joy, of knowing for certain your right direction and your right fuel.

Parts 3 and 4 are accelerated by dropping me a message here on LinkedIn. I think it's time for you to enjoy a better future whilst finding contentment in the present.