Question of the Day ... March 17, 2022

Are you content? as Ben Franklin put it, “Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor.”

But there is also the side that drives men to higher levels of attainment because of their dissatisfaction with the way things are.?“Restlessness is discontent, and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.” Thomas A. Edison, a man who knew aa little about failure and success, spoke these words.

Back to Franklin… “All our discontents about what we want appears to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.”

The human mind is a machine that is constantly asking, what do I want??We are constantly on the move looking for something else, something better, something that “completes” who we are.

It is all about finding balance in who we are and what we need.?Do we need a second helping? A bigger TV? A new car??Are our needs being met or is there a disaffection with where we are in life. James Faust put it in these terms. “A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being.

Where are you on this spectrum? Do you have all you want and need or are you driven to a higher level of success. I used to think that I could answer this question easily. The truth is that our needs change over time; our priorities become different. I agree with Faust and becoming more grateful, I'm just not sure about the greatness part.