Balancing Contentment and Striving

As I progress on my spiritual journey, I have noticed something interesting. I used to believe that being content with one’s circumstances was the enemy of personal progress, or achievement. I used to believe that if I could be happy with what I had now, I would be unable to move myself in a direction towards something better. I used to believe that being unhappy was something I had to endure, so that I could find happiness in some imagined future.

Now, I choose to find happiness and enjoyment within whatever circumstances I find myself in, whenever possible. I do not always succeed at this practice, but I often do. Whatever I believed about achievement, about striving, I figured out, at least, that I needed to enjoy my life in order to live it in a healthy and balanced way. The practice of being present, of being in the here and now, engaged in what I am doing, allows me to find peace and joy within the mundane. I know that there is a lifestyle I would enjoy more than the one I am living right now, and yet, at the same time, I can enjoy the one I have right now.

I used to see something like, doing dishes, as a chore that took away from the enjoyment of my life. Now, I have learned to enjoy it. I simply don’t think about it as a chore, and instead focus on the simple enjoyment of watching something dirty become something nice and clean again by my efforts. If I allow the mind to slip in, I could think about all of the other things I would rather be doing, and be miserable again. I chose instead to find enjoyment in what I do. Joy can be found in the simplest of things in life, and with it, contentment.

What really surprised me, was that from this place of contentment, I still find myself able to strive for more. I continue to look within myself, when it is time for that, and continue to find ways to improve myself, and my inner world. I continue to work on my personal pursuits and hobbies, even if in a lesser way, now that I am working again. Between the activities of day-to-day life, I find space for a little something extra. For example, right now I am “waiting” for several next steps to be ready in a cooking project and a yard project. Rather than get stuck in waiting, I leaned into inspiration, and am writing this blog. I found a way to enjoy the space that naturally came up in the course of the day.

I have a vision for my future. For the lifestyle I want to have, the work I want to do, the projects I want to complete, and more. I make space for striving, visualizing my dreams, taking practical steps towards making them into a reality. At the same time, I attend that which is on my plate today, that which needs attention right now. The two things are not mutually exclusive. Rome need not be built in a day, and I choose to enjoy that which I can right now. That which I cannot enjoy, I accept, for it is what is here and now.

So dear reader, I challenge you with this: can you both enjoy what life has to offer you right now, and know what you want for the future? Can you simultaneously experience a desire for everything you hope and dream of, while also being okay without it? This path, walking the knife edge between striving and contentment, brings peace and prosperity, joy and acceptance, while also setting oneself on the direction of their choosing.

Wherever this post finds you right now, I hope that you find peace and joy in this day, and in all the days to come.