A rich man can be unhappy, if he is discontented; while a poor man can be happy, if he is contented. A famous movie star can still be envious of others and hence unhappy, while a humble housewife may be content with the simple pleasures of a home life, and hence happy.

The art of contentment is an extremely valuable wisdom to gain. For it enables us to remain serene and unperturbed whatever status we have attained. It is a key to inner peace and serenity, and prerequisite to lasting happiness.

Contentment does not mean that one ceases to improve or grow. This kind of contentment is death of the soul. Contentment and aspiration can go together. For one can aspire and do one’s best, and still be contented with the outcome of the aspiration, whatever it may be.

When we envy others, we are often asking for the impossible, that is, to want something and not be willing to take the sacrifices to attain them; or to do desire right now that which is beyond our present reach. To wish to have a happy marriage without being willing to improve oneself is to ask for the impossible. To desire to have a beautiful face when we are not born with one is to court unnecessary discontentment, unless we are willing to go through plastic surgery.

Rather than compare oneself to others, it is better to clarify within oneself with is truly of value to him. Let these be the goals. Whether one becomes like another person is no longer important, for tine values of another may be different from oneself.

It is natural for us to pursue what is important in our lives: it can be peace of mind, a comfortable home, a happy family, the writing of a book or music, etc. Just be excellent in this according to one’s capacity, not the capacity of another.

Your best is what is humanly possible. Accept it and be contented with it.

Realize that life sometimes brings us adverse circumstances for reasons that we do not understand. Learn to bear it with patience, for there is an inner law that brings back balance and harmony.

Be content with your lot when it is beyond your control, be it blindness, disability, or even death.

You will find that your real needs are simple and few. But your wants or wishes are legion. These wants can be multiplied or can be diminished, which will determine whether you will unhappy or contented.

The secret of contentment is knowing how to enjoy what you have, and to be able to lose all desire for things beyond your reach. — Lin Yutang

Appreciate every moment as it comes. It is the only reality. See things as they are, rather than as you wish them to be in the future. There is a perfection in every moment in spite of the apparent imperfections.

Again, living in the present does not mean that the person no longer thinks of the future. One can think of the future bunt still live in the present. Thinking is a present activity. It is being here and now.

Discontentment often comes from emotional insecurities or lack of self-esteem. For example, a person who lacks self-confidence tends to want to acquire wealth or power or fame to prove himself or herself, and hence finds it hard to feel contented with what one already has. The emptiness does not really lie outside. It lies within oneself. It is therefore helpful to work out these insecurities.

Discontentment arises from a narrow philosophy of life, while contentment arises from an outlook that puts large and small things in their proper perspectives. A wholesome philosophy of life, for example, views properties merely as fleeting possessions in a lifetime, and hence does not allow these things to occupy tine entire of one’s values amid attention.

Let your actions be rooted in wholesome principles, and know that whatever you actions you sow, they cannot reap unpleasant fruits. Be content with the sowing, for the reaping will surely follow, as the day follows night.

10. Transcend the Needs of time Personality

Ultimately all personal discontentment is due to the self-centered nature of the ego. Spirituality is the transcendence of this ego, and hence of its fleeting needs. One now lives for a higher purpose, and no longer the satisfaction of one’s body, feelings or perceived wants or needs.