Are you content this Christmas?



In our post-modern world, the search for ‘contentment’ has become obsolete in the quest for more. Though the promise of power and money has always been part of the human condition, the Industrial Revolution introduced us all to the lure of owning more and the opportunity to objectively measure ourselves against our neighbour.

Have the promises of money been realised?

Hundreds of years ago Socrates stated that “contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty” – I think he is right.

Contentment is a natural wealth; the condition of being satisfied not only with what we have but with who we are. On the other hand, the pursuit of luxury and things makes us paupers often dominated by our own needs and shortcomings.

Maybe the one phrase ‘not enough’ describes how we feel when contentment is a distant hope:

  • not pretty enough
  • not smart enough
  • not rich enough
  • not liked enough
  • not wanted enough

Contentment says ‘I am okay, I am enough’.

Where does this leave us?

Well probably with a decision to make, which kind of life do we want to live? In terms of decisions, we all make this decision daily yet more rarely make it intentionally, with deliberation. But today we can. We can say ‘I am enough and I have enough’ – everything else I’m pursuing is not about me. Now I suggest that is contentment!

May this season fill you with contentment

No regrets!

Kelley


About Kelley

Kelley is a speaker, author, overseas aid worker and perpetual student. She is passionate about women and gender issues, both in the local and international context, which underpins her enthusiasm for kinwomen and its contribution to women ‘living their finest life’. In 2014 Kelley completed a Masters in International and Community Development before establishing The Foxglove Project. Foxglove is a registered charity focused on supporting international development projects that are sustainable and driven by indigenous leadership. Kelley’s paid work requires her to travel extensively to evaluate and support projects supported by Australian funds. This experience and networking enables Foxglove to partner with outstanding overseas agencies delivering real opportunities for the poor and vulnerable to lead independent self-determined lives. Kelley combines these passions with a love of family and faith. Across more than 30 years of marriage, Kelley and her husband have worked through many of the challenges of building a relationship while raising three sons. Their boys have now finished high school changing the dynamics of family life and relationships. One of her great joys is sharing parenting lessons and learning from good and bad (sometimes disastrous) experiences. She uses humour and common sense to talk about the everyday challenges facing parents in today’s context.