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On Being Content

What is the secret to happiness? Is being content a trait you are born with or a skill you can develop over the years? I like to believe it is a mindset we chose to believe every day. For me contentment doesn't always come naturally, I'd say I'm there 60% of the time and the other 40% I'm looking for the next best thing.

And yes, I do believe that being discontent can breed new ideas and be a callus for change however my 40% definitely does not always fall into that category. I'm often wanting to be somewhere else, , annoyed at the people in my life or tired of waiting on God to change my situation. Below is an interview Tony Robbins did with a 108 year old holocaust survivor , Alice Herz-Sommer and she is happy, laughing and very content with life. She lives by herself in a tiny London flat with no assistance and she still practices the piano three hours a day.

In the interview Alice says she learned two important lessons from her mother:

1. Never complain. It doesn't change anything. It only makes you miserable.
2. Be thankful. Treat everything in life—whether good or bad—as a gift.

Looking back, she was even grateful for her experience in the Nazi prison camp. She says, "I learned from the bad, but I focused on the good."

You and I have the same choice: we can complain or we can be thankful and content. It's really a matter of perspective. It comes down to what kind of person you want to be. And it ultimately determines your happiness.

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