An oft-misinterpreted aspect of spirituality is the idea of contentment. It is usually understood to mean being satisfied with whatever one has. This sometimes borders on being complacent and forcing oneself to be happy with mediocrity.
Contentment is certainly not about being impervious to quality of life. It is quite the antithesis. It is, in fact, a powerful technique of transformation. To be content means to embrace one’s given situation the way it is. Once we do it, once we accept our reality, we merge into it. In that merger lies the power to transmute the reality.
So let us say we are not happy with our financial condition. Contentment is not about resigning to it and living in relative poverty. In resigning to it, we reject the situation and are unhappy. The idea of giving in to what one has as ‘fate’ is merely lip service then. Internally, we keep feeling bad about the situation and sometimes, go to the extreme of perceiving the people who are better off as being materialistic and unspiritual.
There is nothing unspiritual about being happy and abundant. Happiness, emotionally and materially, is an expression of one’s energy. It is a reflection of the value one creates. Therefore, if one is not content with a financial situation, the first step is to accept the situation and do a candid review. Then assess one’s potential so as to figure out the resources that can help to bridge the gap between the situation and the aspiration. And there are always internal resources, regardless of age, gender or any other parameter. Sometimes it is merely a matter shaking off that intrinsic lethargy that we may not be aware of. Once that is done, the path opens up to change.
Thus, contentment is not about resignation. It is about surrender, so as to release any sense of rejection we may have towards the situation. Embrace facilitates change. Acceptance is the key to empowerment.
