“Enough is always just a little bit more than what one presently has.”
Culture’s voices tease us with its urges. “Not large enough. Not new enough. Not hip enough. Not wealthy enough. Not attractive enough. Not smart enough.”
That is not to say that one should not desire at all; for desire is part of human nature. But it becomes a problem when desire begins to compromise one’s essential values, when desire overrides one’s underlying principles and priorities or when it rules and controls one’s actions in a negative way…
Furthermore, discontentment draws us away from the many blessings we truly possess, in order to seek satisfaction for our desires amidst the flea market panoply of “more.” It distracts us from gratitude and a sense of sufficiency, like the foolish man who is said to “spend money that he does not have for that which he does not need.”
Contentment, rather, is a lifestyle. It’s not one satiated desire or another. Instead, it is a process of being satisfied and grateful for what one has. For there is so much goodness in life that we overlook, because we’re always searching for more.
In that light, one might do well to recall the parable of the farmer who possessed the goose that laid the golden eggs. Originally the farmer was quite content with his life, satisfied with harvesting his grain and feeding his livestock on his small farm which was sufficient for all his needs. But one day he purchased a goose and soon discovered that the goose would lay one golden egg per day. Quite surprised, he took the first egg to a local jeweler and discovered its worth and began selling the single golden egg laid by the goose each day to the jeweler. The farmer soon became quite wealthy. But eventually as his wealth increased, so did his greed, for he became dissatisfied with only receiving one golden egg daily. It simply was not enough. Fueled by his desire for more, he killed the goose, thinking she contained within herself more than a single golden egg, only to discover none. The farmer’s unquenched desire now only produced barrenness.
Contentment begins with finding joy in the simple pleasures of our senses. One can choose to consume greedily, and ask for more, or one can choose to slow down a bit, and taste the joys of everyday life with satisfaction.
An illustration of this can be found in the simple joys of eating an orange as described by Suzanne U. Rhodes in her book, “The Roar on the Other Side:”
It’s big as a softball, with thick, bright, fake looking skin. I dig in my thumbnail like a spade and begin to loosen and tear the hide, exposing a white webbing, a kind of packing material. A tang fine as seaspray scents the air. The globe is seamed and perfectly sectioned. I break the threads to release each segment, fat as a wineskin, and slide one into my mouth. The juice was bottled in Heaven, I am certain. As I eat, it drips from my fingers and lips, lavish and miraculous, until I eat it all, leaving a film of sweetness like gold leaf on my face.
Suzanne U. Rhodes: The Roar on the Other Side (Moscow, ID, Canon Press, 2000, 2009), p.18.
Mining golden nuggets each day:
So, one might ask, how does one mine these moments of delight and appreciation within the rocky edginess of everyday demands for “more?” How does one combat the winds of culture which shout out, “Not enough?” “Not enough.”
Here are some of the steps I turn to when I find myself dissatisfied. Every person will want to make their own list; but here are some germinal ideas.
- Don’t Compare! To do so is to ask for disappointment. There will always be someone smarter, someone more attractive, or someone who has a bigger house. To use Old Testament Scripture language. “Do not covet.”
- Recognize and accept the fact that there are certain things in life one cannot change. Go on with living and do what you can do to bring something positive into each day; not only for yourself, but for others as well.
- Start each day with the desire and intent of introducing something new into the world that is good and enduring and give it away freely to others; whether it be a smile, an encouraging note, or a simple prayer.
- Look at a flower carefully and enjoy its fragrance, its beauty, its intricacies, and thank God as you appreciate His design in nature. Consider the amazing intricacies and variety that He has designed into His fashioning of each human being.
- Recognize your flaws and imperfections. Imagine yourself as hand-shaped pottery, like the imperfections of a kiln-baked cup of clay, flawed but with a purpose. Set one on your desk as a reminder each day of the reality that even in our imperfection we can have a purpose in the lives of others and in our world.
- Develop your own “personal contentment zone.” That could be a place to go to, like a favorite chair, a stroll in a nearby park, or a place in your yard or garden; or it could be something to do like playing favorite music, singing a favorite song, reciting a favorite poem or portion of Scripture. My brother paints on canvas for something relaxing and peaceful to do. Mine is slowly sipping a fragrant cup of coffee. I buy a good kind of whole bean coffee and grind and brew it freshly each morning. Savor its fragrance and flavor with a muffin or cinnamon toast. Now and then, add a little cinnamon, or if you want to go rogue, a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream!
- Read a good book and pass it on. Borrow or purchase a hard copy, enjoy holding it, consider its weight, its wrinkled covers, the joy of turning the pages, even its smell. Delight in its authenticity and originality. Imagine the creativity behind the author’s works and what that person must be like and what he or she desires to share with you.
- Enjoy beauty. The author, Tim Willard, has a delightful manner of helping one discover the joys of beauty within the fast-paced whirlwinds of everyday life. His most recent book is entitled, The Beauty Chasers, but his other books are excellent as well.
- Enjoy humor and practice it. Share it with others. My favorite is one about a panda. A panda walks into a restaurant and orders a meal. He finishes the meal and the waiter asks how he enjoyed his meal. The panda pulls out a gun and fires at the waiter. Then he nonchalantly gets up and walks out of the restaurant. The proprietor runs out and stops the panda and asks. “Why did you do such a thing?” The panda responds, “Because I’m a panda.” The proprietor says, “What difference does that make?” The panda responds, “Look up in the dictionary of what pandas do.” So the proprietor looked up the definition of a panda in the dictionary. It read, “a black and white mammal that lives primarily in China and eats shoots and leaves!” Of course, there’s always plenty of good clean jokes circulating on the internet if you want to spend the time there. Just avoid the hateful and vulgar stuff. Try creating a smile or laugh of the checkout person who is wearing a frown at the store in which you’re shopping.
- Develop a craft or a new talent as a means of self-expression. Discover the value of creation arising from within your own imagination and abilities.
- Look for or imagine the positive in any situation. That is the full half of the glass, rather than the empty half.
- Practice deep breaths of silence and gratitude when frustrated or impatient for more.
- Learn something new that’s positive – every day.
- Consider leaving a legacy to your family: A journal, letters, a favorite song, poem, a book, a scrapbook containing photos and memories.
- Create memories with your friends and family. Record them.
- Practice “Enough” moment by moment. Take the time to ask yourself, “Is this a ‘need’ or ‘desire?’”
- Avoid distractions and addictions.
- Discover satisfaction in fixing or repairing something, preventing waste and adding a bit of sustainability to our world.
Here’s the challenge: Practice mining golden nuggets of contentment and gratitude every day.
Enjoy the moments. They are never more precious than after they are lost.