What makes you content?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Rathji

This is my exact life in my early 20's. I didn't want to go into debt to go to school, so I just started working out of high school. When I was about 25 I realized I hadn't accomplished anything but still had gone into debt. It was about then I realized I needed to go back to school.

It took a while to get rid of the debt and make it so I could go back but I am almost done my 3rd year at UofC and even though it is tough I wouldn't go back.
.

That sounds like me, only right now (I'm 23). I never jump into anything, because I keep thinking I'll change my mind and then whatever courses I take will be for nothing. I have lots of ideas of what I want to do, but can't narrow it down.

The job I have right now pays alright, but not enough for me to move on in life, I'm basically just working there to gain some management experience for my resume, which can be fulfilling and unfulfilling at the same time, if that makes any sense? Basically, it's fulfilling knowing that my days there are going towards gaining basic management skills, and to pad my resume, but unfulfilling as the the job itself isn't very enjoyable, and it's a small company who is somewhat struggling right now, so I get the added stress of hearing about financial difficulty and possible bad times in the near future on top of the regular stresses of managing, so yeah, definitly not where I want to be at this point in my life.

[Locke]

I find volunteer work rewarding. I've done all kinds, and they all have their benefits. I also really enjoy sports, soccer in particular. Hockey is a love of mine, but I will forever be a spectator.

Soccer is great, and after being a coach I find that I'm a much better player than I ever was before even after quitting soccer at 17 and only taking it up again a couple years ago. Coaching a youth team really gave me an incentive to improve and get on a higher division team and take the game seriously again, but also play rec on the side just for fun.

And to think I was essentially conned into doing it is weird. One day, there was a team with no coach, and with no coach there was no season for 16 kids. A professor of mine knew that I did volunteer work and loved soccer (we actually played against each other in Men's league while I was taking his tax course) and asked me if I'd do it. I couldnt say no or 16 kids were hooped. And here I am, enjoying it (mostly) two years later.

The only thing that would make kids soccer better, is no kids. They are terrible at everything. They're lucky I'm here.

But rewarding and contentedness are 2 different animals.

I think 'being content' is a myth, I'll be content the say I'm lying in a wooden box 6 feet under.

Beer is also good. I think people need to take more time to kick back, have a beer and relax.

[Weiser Wonder]

Overall, I'm pretty content. What I worry about is having to move on once the sweet college life is over. Right now I have a lot of friends and a lot of free time. It's a good situation for me but it is over soon and I got to recognize that and move on when it happens.

I'm about to graduate from college debt-free so that's nice but I'm not going into the field of my major (politics). Rather going to take an alternative career path into something that isn't so bogged down in BS. It's all good though, I'm only 21.

My dream is to actually go into comedy writing. I have the talent but the logistics of making a career like that work are not great.

[guzzy]

hookers n blow
rub n tugs

the fine things in life

[arloiginla]

I have to deal with the basic crap that every person has from day to day. I am a university student still living at home but trust me there are disadvantages to that Balancing school and work (the usual) and other stuff keeps me from being as good a friend as I would like. Yet I couldn't be more content with life and it's because of my personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I've been blessed with everything I need and a lot of bonus stuff too, like supporting family, good friends, and a wonderful girlfriend.

The key to my contentment is my faith. Everything else just falls into place for me.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Locke

Beer is also good. I think people need to take more time to kick back, have a beer and relax.

Thanks for the new sig!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Thanks for the new sig!

No problem, thats Locke for you, a man about CP, I'm in sigs everywhere.

[wpgflamesfan]

I'm content when I can just sit down with a good book and a cold beer (glass of whiskey is good too every now and then) and no one around to bug me.

[Caged Great]

I am at my most content when I have time to just think about something. The subject doesn't matter, just being able to relax and ponder an idea is relaxing to me.

[henriksedin33]

The only thing that would make kids soccer better, is no kids. They are terrible at everything. They're lucky I'm here.

love it

[Jayems]

Well, I'm certainly not content about the future of my occupation... as I'm not sure what the economy holds in 6 months, and I'd like to pretend that I'm not stressed about it, but that would be a lie. But, things have somehow always worked out for me.

Definitely my fiancee, chilling with friends, taking time to nerd out on the xbox... and most importantly, getting out to do the things that only you love and is your own thing. For me, it's obviously playing with the Puckers. Sure, my finacee knows I love it, but she doesn't really understand why. To her, it's just going around slapping a puck and siting in the penalty box. But it's the thing that gets me out of the house, exercise, hanging out with a bunch of great dudes, having a few brews (or a lot, depending on if it is halloween or not)... it's great. That's when I'm content. But it really depends on what you want to be content with?

I'm content with my life, but not the uncertainty of my job etc. There are a bunch of things that you can be content with, while a lot of others you aren't. I guess it's trying to find that balance.

[Five-hole]

I'm most content when I'm working the hardest. Which is funny, because mostly I'm lazy as fck. But I have my moments.

In the last year I can feel momentum building in my life. I'd spent a while single and started to get down on myself. My sister got married and the wedding was so beautiful and full of love and I realized that those things were inside me all along I'd just been neglecting them or believing I wasn't capable of those kinds of things. Something clicked then and I've been so much more engaged and efficacious in my life.

I'm at my happiest / most content when I'm really working on my lot in life. Exercising, tidying up about the house, working on my creative endeavors, or maintaining my interpersonal relationships. Instead of sitting back and letting life come to me, which usually makes me introspective, withdrawn, and unhappy, engaging it and interfacing with it really brings out the life in me. I'm really far from perfect and I fck up all the time but I'm much happier proactively fcking up than passively letting everything flow by me. Which, I think, is a much bigger mistake.

By the way I really recommend this book to anybody who resonates with what I just said. It helped me a lot and not really in the way I expected.

[Mrs. Rathji]

What make me content.....
My Daughter and Husband. Knowing I have family that love me. Knowing I have a purpose in this life. Reminding myself everyday that this life is what I make of it.

My Mom taught me that I am the one responsible for how I feel. You always have the choice of how you feel and react to life and its many challenges. Being content is a state of mind and you need to choose that for yourself. Until you choose to be content there will always be something that is there to throw you off. Once you make that choice for yourself then the things that once detered your happiness are seemingly less influential. There are always going to be things but it will change how you view them and therefore change how they affect your life.

The other things is surround yourself with happiness and you will be happy yourself. And always remember there are good things all around you. You just have to be open to seeing them.

Just remember that you control how you feel and one day things will just be brighter!

Mrs. Rathji

[Dion]

What makes me content........

For the most part, being in the moment or the here and now. Not thinking about what i woulda shoulda coulda done in the past or the what if's and maybe's about the future. Accepting myself for who I am and where i am in life. You can't change the past so you might as well make the best of what you have today.

I'm probably the happiest when i'm playing a game of golf or spending time with family.

[LGA]

Three things in my life make me content.

I love driving, especially in the summer when you can have the windows open, driving around with nice scenery, I couldn't be more at peace, driving like this.

I also absolutely love hockey, I love playing it with friends, competitively, just playing hockey is absolutely fantastic.

Lastly, but not the least of the bunch, I love it when I can just hang out with a girl I like, I dunno, just a really nice warm fuzzy feeling.

I know, I'm probably a sap, but I'm usually involved in crazy frantic activities (currently going to school, playing lacrosse, hockey, doing MMA, volunteering and working), so when I get to just chill, it's pretty nice.

[HelloHockeyFans]

Agree with Locke.

If you are having trouble feeling content in your life, go and do some volunteer work. That missing feeling you seek is quickly realized when the people you help thank you for your efforts.

[Sample00]

After reading all these fine posts, I'll take a stab at it.

I am content when I am riding my motorcycle. Its one of those things that you do that requires you to concentrate fully most of the time. It takes my mind off of the things that cause me stresses. I am fortunate that I am out on a highway quite quickly here. And from there its just me, the bike and the open road.

I am content when sitting around with my wife and friends. Yapping, laughing, having a good time. I dont like an overly huge crowd, but anywhere from 2-10 is excellent. With large crowds I tend to retreat a bit, with a smaller crowd I can be involved more and when you are involved in the conversation and laughing and not thinking about stuff, its a very comforting feeling.

Maybe its content, maybe its called being in the Zone. But I am content when I am coaching my son's hockey game and he is on his game. Its at that point, that I dont worry about him and the team anymore. I guess when he is in the Zone, so am I. There truly is nothing more special than watching your kid play and being the best he can absolutely be. Case in point, we had a tournament last weekend. And a top notch team from Grande Prairie showed up, probably shouldnt have been in the tournament. They outscored their opponents in this tourney with scores of 16-0 and higher. When it was our turn to play them, I was quite nervous. But I didnt share that nervousness with my son. Our team only managed 6 shots on goal the entire game. But my son literally stood on his head, in fact stopping a few shots with his head. The shot count was well over 50 for them. We lost by a score of 5-1, but man, was I proud of my kid. He literally was in the zone and I was so content in watching him play. It was a cool moment.

My band and I played at a music festival last year at a place called Rangeton. For the most part, the acts were ok. We are a rock band and didnt get to play until about 11:00PM on friday night. Rangeton is a huge campground and there was probably about 150 RV's parked there that weekend. When we started there was maybe 20 people sitting in lawn chairs in front of this big open stage. Anyhow, we fired up and started to play. Mostly just playing for ourselves and really not paying attemtion to what was happening in front of us. It was dark. Our first tune was Detroit Rock City and our second one was She sells sanctuary. By the second tune, they had tossed some light out into the seating area and there was literally 200 people standing there. I looked over at our lead singer and we both just grinned at each other and really got into our groove. It was one of those nights that was just magically. When we came off the stage after our set, the next band was ready to go on. Two of their bandmates were yacking and I overheard them say, "How do we follow that!?" It was cool. My wife said I had a grin on my face til the next morning. You wanna talk content, that was content.

Alrighty well I think I have filled up enough of this post. Anyhow, I think certain moments make you content. In general, I think contentness makes you become complacent. One should always achieve and strive for more or at least better oneself.

[J pold]

It's hard for me to content. I'm young and perhaps it will wear off but it seems when I reach the thing that should make me content (Girls, job, money) the second I get it I need something more. Something bigger or better, I'm always searching for the next level.

It's good in a way, because it gives me the drive and motivation that I need to be successful at what I want. On the other hand it's a poison because it becomes so hard to just stop and appreciate what you have. There are however a few times that I've really felt content.

One was a couple of years ago, When I was coaching my younger brothers basketball team. I started out as an assistant just to help out, but when the head coach realized that I actually knew what I was talking about he stepped aside and let me take over. My team hadn't won a game all season but still made the playoffs because everyone did. We upset a team that had beaten us three times before in the first round, and seeing those kids celebrate out on the court, it was like nothing I've ever felt. I was really at peace.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by jammies

Cows are content. My advice is to aspire to something more worthy.

Hinduism disapproves of your pessimism.

As per my own contentedness, my special lady just returned from being away all week.

Laying in bed watching a movie with the christmas lights around the window flickering against the falling snow...content.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Mrs. Rathji

What make me content.....
My Daughter and Husband. Knowing I have family that love me. Knowing I have a purpose in this life. Reminding myself everyday that this life is what I make of it.

My Mom taught me that I am the one responsible for how I feel. You always have the choice of how you feel and react to life and its many challenges. Being content is a state of mind and you need to choose that for yourself. Until you choose to be content there will always be something that is there to throw you off. Once you make that choice for yourself then the things that once detered your happiness are seemingly less influential. There are always going to be things but it will change how you view them and therefore change how they affect your life.

The other things is surround yourself with happiness and you will be happy yourself. And always remember there are good things all around you. You just have to be open to seeing them.

Just remember that you control how you feel and one day things will just be brighter!

Mrs. Rathji

Your husband makes you content? Someone hasnt read the confessional thread....

Welcome to the boards, and I want to take this opportunity to apologize about some of the comments in the 'sticky cucumber' thread.