Without contentment and gratefulness for the things we do have, how would you gain financial freedom?
How to be free when it's never enough?
How to be happy when there's always something that others have and you don't?
Catch yourself the next time when you say you "deserve" or is "entitled" to this or that ;)
What would you give in return for "inner peace"?
Or is it inside all of us all along?
Peace be with you.
When I'm stressed, I remember "Master Uguai" from Kung Fu Panda. Ahhhh...he's the man. "Good news, bad news...there is only NEWS".
ReplyDeletePeace, dude.
In Turkey they called it the "Evil Eye". i think one can only be contented if one don't practise the "Evil Eye". If you start to compare, there is no end to it. So how can you have peace inside of you?
DeleteOnce we worry too much on how other people look at us, it will become harder for us to have inner peace.
DeleteRonian,
DeleteTrue, true. The same news may be good news to some, while bad news to others. It's how we react to the news that matter more.
Temperament,
DeleteYes! Greece have this "Evil Eye" too! Greece was under the Ottoman Empire just like us under the British Empire...
It's interesting that this quote on my post was used by Christian Evangelists and Islamic clerics.
The world would be a lot peaceful if we stress the commonality instead of amplifying our differences.
CW8888,
DeleteI used to hate school reunions. Everyone seems to be doing better than me. Only a few of us were "stuck" at O' levels...
In my 20s I have a big chip on my shoulder. Always trying to prove this or that - when nobody cares!
I discovered my green shoots of "inner peace" when I reached 40 (or is it my mid-life crisis?)
Now I am comfortable with my myself :)
some days ago, someone (i forgot who haha) ask me to go for really good food. he/she ponder where to get it.
ReplyDeletei interrupt and say "simple, just starve ourself for a while and good food will appear everywhere"
Ha ha! Good one Coconut!
DeleteI used to be very picky on the cleanliness of my food in my youth. Got one tiny ant in my soup I will throw away the whole bowl.
After going through 3 months of Basic Military Training, I tell you what, got fresh rations during field camps - got sand, got dirt, I also eat! Got insects? Hey! Extra protein!
LOL!
I've never knew real poverty until I visited Bombay for business trip... I am so grateful to be born in Singapore!
remember who's that idiot was, my daugther! she put her 2 finger holding her chin while pondering, as though she's trying to solve the greatest science problem of the century.
Deleteya, wonder why everybody is so unhappy and streesful, we are really right at the top of everything!
Hello SMOL!
ReplyDeleteThat title is actually one of my favourite quotes (by Ecuadorean artist Guayasamin) - roughly translates to: "I cried because I had no shoes until I saw a kid who had no feet".
Incidentally, I recall a recent discussion with a friend: how do we know that contentment is not merely resigning ourselves to fate? We had no conclusion really. Or may be, in the first place, that was a wrong question to ask about life.
Hi plumerainbow!
DeleteI first saw this quote in Dale Carnegie's book more than 20 years ago... It's interesting to see a similar quote from all the way in Ecuador!
If I were in the discussion with your friend and you, I would probably reply as follows:
"Those resigning to fate have a heavy sigh when they see dark clouds; while contented people sing in the rain and smile when they see the rainbow."
i think Christians believe real contentment is you always have joy in your heart, no matter what-dark clouds or rainbow,rain or shine.(it's very hard to achieve unless you have GOD's spirit living in you)
ReplyDeleteIn another way of looking at it, these people are living for Eternity. Here is just a temporary, very short journey of life in preparing for the Eternal life. You can even say here is testing or training ground for the Eternal life.
Have you met anyone(maybe non-Christian) always have joy in his heart, no matter what happens?
Sorli, now i can't resist to share with you this prayer by a Great Christian(anonymous): It's one of my anchor in life.:-
"No one reacts to things as they are, but to one's own mental images; Keep me aware that it's not what happens to me in life that matters, but rather how i react to what happens."
Amen.
NB:
i believe even non-believers will profit immensely from the wisdom of this prayer. So, no matter what happens to us, we can still choose contentment and carry on isn't it?
Thank you Temperament for sharing your joy in life and your prayer.
DeleteIndeed, it's how we react matters more; not what happens to us. I remember reading a similar quote in a Buddhist text somewhere too...
Being a heathen and agnostic, I do not seek Eternal life.
I merely wish for the wisdom to see the true nature of things and the humility to acknowledge the possibility what if "tomorrow" never comes?