Cultivating the art of contentment
Contentment is not a superpower; it’s an art. Anyone and everyone has the ability to learn contentment. But the art must be cultivated.
As an art form, contentment is less like watercolors than it is like a martial art. It offers great power when developed. It calls for discipline and training. It requires practice. Your very survival may depend on it.
Consider this: on average we see more than 11,000 digital ads each month. That’s just online — excluding television, radio, print, billboards and all the rest. It’s no secret that our culture is bombarding us with things to make our lives “better.” Your satisfaction is constantly under attack.
Money can never make you happy. (Odd thing for a wealth advisor to claim, isn’t it?) If it could, the richest people would be the happiest. Studies have consistently shown this is not the case. If you’re chasing contentment through your investments, you’re never going to find it.
Wanting to cultivate more contentment? Reflection is a great place to start. Identify the areas in your financial life where you are the most and least content. And don’t keep your answers to yourself. Talking it through with someone you trust, like a spouse, friend, pastor, therapist, or advisor, can help you uncover valuable insights. Reflection works best in daily or weekly rhythms. To cultivate it, you must practice. You must fight for your satisfaction.
Writing from a Christian perspective, my personal contentment is found in an understanding that regardless of my circumstances, my present and future are in God’s hands. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5). If this is not your perspective, you will need to discover what your contentment is rooted in.
Regardless, your net worth is a weak foundation for your peace of mind. Contentment is your best self-defense against a culture that’s constantly telling us that we never have enough, and we never are enough. So I ask again, will you ever be content?
The team at Sound Stewardship exists to help clients experience complete financial confidence and contentment. If you’re lacking in either of those, we’d love to talk.
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