The pursuit of contentment is the path to achieving calming peace. The journey can be started at any point in life. I once had association with a fellow – a millionaire. In fact, a multimillionaire. He was not a content man. He had no calming peace. All that money and being miserable. What kind of life is that? A wise man I associate with always tells me, “When you have your health, you have everything.” I include contentment and calming peace in that declaration as part of our (mental) health.
Money can’t buy happiness
Money can’t buy happiness. Sure, it is nice to have enough money to make ends meet – and maybe a little more for savings, but if your focus is only on the money, and just a little more money, well, good luck with your peace of mind. Let money worry on itself. A friend of mine use to tell me – in so many words – when I get this much money, than I can settle down – or I can be happy. Be happy today! You have today, what else really matters. The day when you have enough money may never come. What is the value of a day of contentment. In my book, it is priceless. Celebrate the day!
One Tin Soldier – in pursuit of contentment?
Remember the song, “One Tin Soldier”? I think it was part of the soundtrack for one of the Billy Jack movies. Here are some of the stanzas from the song:
“. . . On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath the stone
And the valley-people swore
They’d have it for their very own . . .”
“. . . So the people of the valley
Sent a message up the hill
Asking for the buried treasure
Tons of gold for which they’d kill
It came an answer from the mountain
With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain
All the riches buried there . . .”
“. . . Now the valley cried with anger
“Mount your horses! Draw your sword!”
And they killed the mountain-people
So they won their just reward
Now they stood beside the treasure
On the mountain, dark and red
Turned the stone and looked beneath it
“Peace on Earth” was all it said . . .”
I always liked that song. Peace on Earth. Truly the treasure we seek as we journey in pursuit of contentment and finding that inner peace. Perhaps spiritual peace.
Pursuit of contentment is nothing new
The pursuit of contentment may be considered a spiritual journey. It is for me. I cannot imagine being content in absence of faith in a Higher Power. My Higher Power is the Holy Trinity. I’m not going to swing into a sermon but will repeat a statement that has been attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226): “Preach the Gospel; use words if necessary.”
Something each of us must determine for ourselves
This post centered on the pursuit of contentment and ended with reference to spirituality. Can you have one without the other? That is something each of us must determine.
I hope you enjoyed this post. I dug a little deeper this time but I have seen time and again people who are not content with their lives are occasionally not content with their spirituality. My hope for each of you is to find lasting peace in your lives. And again, Peace.
