08 Oct If Happiness Is Elusive, Try a Little Contentment Instead
The field of psychology that I’m interested in, Positive Psychology, is interested in ALL emotions and ALL positive emotions.
Happiness is just one of many; in addition, there’s contentment and satisfaction, joy and love, and many many more.
They’re all important, in different ways.
This article by Barton Goldsmith via Psychology Today touches on the idea that if you’re struggling to enjoy one positive emotion, say happiness, maybe you could work towards another …
Contentment is different from happiness, and more subtle. Contentment is a basic sense of satisfaction with your life and situation. While it can lead to a more constant flow of the happy vibe, contentment is also just a good place to be. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you travel the path toward contentment.
No one can be happy all the time, so try settling for contentment. This may mean taking a good look at what you no longer have, or what you have lost. For example, I know I’m never going to play music at a concert venue again, and although this makes me sad, I’ve learned to live with it, because life has been pretty good to me in many other ways. It’s important to remember that when you lose one thing, something else wonderful can its place.
The giddy feeling that comes with happiness, the one that makes us feel high, never lasts. It’s just a temporary jolt of brain chemicals, and sometimes it can leave you feeling blue when it’s over. Too often we guilt ourselves into believing that if we are not happy all the time, something is wrong with us, and that just isn’t true.
Everyone has a different happiness quotient, and some people are just really good at pretending. So, avoid comparing yourself to other people. Look at your own life, and allow yourself to feel good about where you are and where you are going. Your direction and position in life are probably just fine…
… keep reading the full & original article HERE