There are times that I am content in life and there are times that I am not.  I believe we can be content in situations such as at a meal with family or taking a walk on a nice day.  There is also being content with ones' life...  Do you think that it is right or wrong to be content with your life?  It seems to me that if one is content in their situation then they may no longer have ambition to continue striving to improve on the things that are within their control.  Any thoughts?  I work with a person that is a minimalist....

I would say that the goal would be contentment without apathy.  I may be content with my direction in life, but still driven to make changes in my environment.  If contentment is a state of mind and not an excuse to be irresponsible, then it would be a good thing.

Contentment is understanding the times, and faith in the future kingdom.

Parece que personas felices en el mundo no son determinadas realmente por las reglas del mundo. Aparentemente no asociación verdadera con posesiones para tener la una felicidad extraordinaria. Un estudio publicado en la reunión de la compañía para la personalidad y la Psicología Social mostró que experiencias antes de cosas, ellos son lo que ayuda a personas a ser feliz y feliz.

Dang @Diller you broke some rust free in my gears..  It has been 28 long years since my second year of high school spanish and that box is pretty small now.  I do however agree that possessions absolutely do not make someone content, typically quite the contrary.  Social Interactions with others can also fall into the same boat as possessions however, at least in my observations, less often than possessions.  I do know a handfull of socialites that mask their insecurities by "hanging out" with support groups/friends, so I often times ponder what they could do to get more contentment in themselves if they could challenge themselves to tackle some of their insecurities.  The same logic would apply to me tackling areas in which I could gain some ground as well.

I don't claim to be content in all areas of my life or even most for that matter, I am simply putting my thoughts down in order to see what others think about contentment in order for me to better understand my walk and those with whom I interact on a regular basis.

An example that was brought up recently on the forum..taking care of the poor.  If a person gives a nickle to the Red Cross at Christmas and they feel good about it, I would say that is content.  Another person may give a thousand dollars to a local shelter and feel good about, is that enough?  How is enough determined? Now if a nickle was alot to that person then it may very well be quite a sacrifice so I would agree, and the thousand dollars could have been insignificant as well.  When a person can almost always give more of their time, love, money, etc.. than they do, which I would assume we all could do, then when is it appropriate to say that the benchmark has been met?

Another example that I used earlier was the minimalist at work.  In my position it can be quite a challenge to help integrate anothers strengths into the whole if they simply don't care, or care enough, how much their contribution can either positively or negatively impact the team.  I can see the potential, in this particular situation, but I struggle when I see so very little effort being put out to contribute and grow, which often times can drag not only the individual down but also the team.

The examples that I used both lead into my "base" phrase that I like to use and or say when appropriate..."live for today, plan for tomorrow".   This helps me weigh each situation, and this is an ongoing challenge, in order to do what seems best at the moment in the particular situation while still thinking about what the long term impacts will be.  What can I do/give/say today, while still thinking about the long term impacts that I think need to remain in focus?

@ harefoot.  I think defining contentment is easy, satisfied.  The question I am aiming at and the meat of the discussion that I am diving into is how is contentment in something/anything/everything developed or determined.  Any gained understanding of this process and how it applies to my life, could only help.

Why are people driven to succeed?  What is it in some people that will set a goal and try to achieve it at any and all costs? Some are worthy goals and some are vain.   I was amazed to read about a Tunisian man that set himself on fire to protest the unfairness of his local government.  When he died, thousands protested in support of him and the government was overthrown.  This is extreme discontentment coupled with a motivation to change things at all costs. 

I would say that I am at a point of discontentment with the direction of our country, while at the same time being content with the direction that I myself am being driven. My "base" phrase..."redeem the time".  In other words, what I do with my time needs to count for something.

contentment is having the toughest dog in the neighborhood.

@ GWB  Yes having the toughest dog in the neighborhood would typically make a person content in the fact that they can take a walk and be comfortable in the fact that another dog is not going to come out and kick your dogs butt while taking on an evening jaunt.  A person could also feel safe with a tough dog as a guard......The problem is at my house we have kitties...big ones also known as cougars.  I am also told that there are now wolves in the area..  So the big tough dog may not quite provide all of the comfort that it was intended to and my guard would have to stay up until I can have a pet lion.  So the main point would be that the word has to end in "est" in order to reach true contentment.  I would agree with this but typically "est" doesn't last very long so it is more of a situational and temporary contentment.

@ G-Kari  I like your "redeem the time" and the principles that you use in order to measure your path and  It ties in with the verse "better to have tried and failed than to not have tried at all":)   This makes me ponder which measuring stick is used.  Is it the measure of the actual accomplished goal or more of the pursuit of the goal and those whose lives you made an impact on along the way?

I can absolutely guarantee you that "all" people are not driven to succeed.  I am thinking of one person in particular who was in our church youth group who just wanted to "hang"..  He got to do all of his own thinking at a later point in his life and is now south of the border doing what he has to in order to support his drug habits, with a few friends that he gets to "hang" with..  It was clear that he just did not care even when he was still on a solid track five years ago.  His parents are both awesome folks and their other child is spot on..

Your two questions warrant some additional thought..

Harefoot, in the above post, Spanish was simply chosen for fun, and due to the fact that so many directly South of us speak this language. Glad you liked the tweaked communique'.  Needless to say, we all understand that one can be poor and yet very rich in SPIRIT.  And like Kari states, let's redeem the time and be of use physically and spiritually in this life. Matthew 6:19-21   -  There is even more than just happiness or contentment in this life - for example as a further extension to contentment, there is pure - JOY. Experiencing the pure unadulterated JOY of being Alive -  Also the pure JOY of knowing, and having awareness in one's heart of hearts, concerning the beauty of GOD's Plan.

When my wife Barbara was down in Central America doing a Medical Mission with other nurses and doctors, she was impressed with the attitudes of the people who were seeking medical attention.  They were dirt poor, but kept themselves and their children clean as whistles. They seemed incredibly beyond being happy and content, they seemed to be truly  'A Joyous People'. Unlike their brothers and sisters in North America who seem often to be quite jaded and discontent with life. Up here, we seem to have accepted  "The Great American Dream lie" you know, that everyone has to be or will become a  "The True American Success Story".  Like you say Trydude, minimalistic work or living definitely has it merits. These people also had an   'Extreme Attitude of Gratitude'.   Because of this  'attitude'  they had great 'JOY'. Where did this attitude of gratefulness come from? They seemed to be so grateful to the Doctors and Nurses, but ultimately very thankful to GOD for LIFE and for the help that had arrived. They lived in cardboard shacks and only had the clothes on their backs. There seemed to be little or no competition, they were purely enjoying LIFE and being ALIVE. Ironically, it seems as though people often loose this attitude of gratefulness when they become rich and independent. But when in need of help and dirt poor, and life's basic needs start being met, a true gratefulness for the help and LIFE itself, really begins to shine through. Perhaps we can all learn from these   "poor"   people, maybe they are the True American Success Story -                               GWB- you know that the type of contentment that comes from having the toughest dog on the block only lasts a short time, eventually he will become old and useless. 

My tough dog is symbolic, he doesn't get old and he is not afraid of mountain lions.

GWB -  That hound dog we got up there in your town that we named Wally isn't afraid of Mountain Lions either, he chases them around our property and he is not symbolic - 

Do you have any puppies from Wally hound?

No pups here, but they got them up there.  I better stop shooting the breeze on Kari's forum that deals with more important things like   'contentment' .  Well I guess you could say he has provided us happiness and contentment. 

I  agree with your first statement -  "It is possible to be content with your life while continuing to set goals and have desires."

On your second point, the "product" would need to be defined or the motive for the product.  If the product is happy children, or a safe environment, than I would  put high priority and great value on it.  If it was simply to get more than the next guy, I would agree with you.

I parallel G-Kari to an extent.  I think It is possible to be content with your life so long as you continue to set and work towards the goals and desires in your heart.  Contentment to me is to be a part of something bigger than me and to share in it with others. To work towards the day when I can hear the words "Well done, good and faithful servant..then I think I would be truly content!  Until that day I do believe there are some things that I am going to have to do.

This may be as a surprise to some, but I like to set goals.  It may be to flip my oldest sister off of the tube in the boat so high that the memory lasts a lifetime (FYI- I always go back and pick people up out of the water and that is why this same example has been used in the past.  No matter what the experience of the person behind the boat, that boat always comes back..no matter how many tries it took for them to get up on skis or no matter how many times they fell), or to not eat more than ten hot chocolate chip cookies in one sitting.  I am goal oriented and like to take one step and then another towards a finite finish.  For me, this makes each day easier to tackle when the end is clear.  I enjoy sharing in common goals with friends, family, and co-workers. Without these people to share in life's experiences, it would mean nothing.

I have asked myself....Why is it that I/we are so driven to work towards goals and like to share the experience with others so that they too can enjoy the "product/result" at the end?