Mental Contentment Matters

In twenty-first century, we are enjoying an independent, luxurious and comfortable life. We have all the modern facilities of life and lack nothing, except peace of mind, heart satisfaction and mental contentment.

    Contentment is neither something to be bought by money nor a thing to be inherited in legacy. It is the state of being happy and satisfied with what one possesses. Contentment lies in bringing change in behaviours unilaterally. Mankind’s first and foremost priority is to meet the basic necessities of life. Once basic requirements of life are fulfilled, wishes start to raise up and the race for good to better gears up. However, in this respect, keeping possibilities in view may overcome mental uncertainty to a large extent. Things cannot be managed in the blink of an eye —- one has to wait for change-conducive environment. Tony Gaskins says: “To be content doesn’t mean you don’t desire more, it means you’re thankful for what you have and patient for what’s to come”. Joyce Meyer says: “Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep good attitude while waiting”. Patience is the bridge between action and output. Patience brings concentration, hope, positivity, and enables one to reassess the pros and cons of the proposed scheme.

Patience is the basic key to mental peace. Only mental peace can bring the  miracles of creative thinking. Pascal quotes: “Our achievements today are but the sum of our thoughts of yesterday”. Contentment is the spirit of civilization, for it provides one with the capability of introspection and retrospection. There is no problem-free life. Say welcome to problem and change it into opportunity. People are afraid of change and do not have the art of changing negativity into positivity as well. Thinking the other way round brings people the fear of loss. The very spirit of fear contains people from doing something new. Very few people are cognizant of the fact that fear is a positive feeling per se. “Fear” is usually, considered something unpleasant feeling or anxious emotion, but it has a lot of positive facets as well. Fear awakens one from a deep slumber to recall one that all is not well, and something needs to be improved. Every development and improvement has the sense of fear behind it. Fear is a problem or death-knell if allowed to dominate, rather it is an opportunity or blessing if availed positively.  All facilities and blessings cannot be gathered in one person at a time —- avail yourself of what you already possess; and availing yourself of one opportunity opens the closed-doors of the another one. Catching up everything at a time loses all you have already caught up , and contemplating more than acting brings mental anxiety. Sharing issues with others may jettison tensions and fix solutions.

Comprehensive planning, proper skills, time-management and self-control are some of the basic pillars of success, which bring pleasure and give one a sigh of relief. Albeit, procrastination, hastiness , ill-preparation, selfishness, unnecessary interference in others’ issues, and inability of making decisions promptly lead to failures, financial losses, time wastage, and mental strain.    Seeking heart satisfaction is a difficult experience, but once achieved, social life will become easier. Peace of mind does not lie in the accumulation of more and more wealth, but it lies in self-sacrificing, accepting dissenters, treating the nearest neighbours with respect, helping the poor, loving nature, and abiding by social values.

Mental contentment makes society like a paradise. “Paradise is not some far-away state……the reward of years of tribulations. Paradise is the thinking power for happiness, for good, for everything we need in life”. The very traits of love, forgiveness, tolerance, sympathy, and brotherhood are the foundations of mental contentment. We are not here forever  that we become anxious and distress.    Mental peace exists in accomplishments, settlements and fulfilling responsibilities. Persistence, fortitude, hope for good, and determination can heal the deep wounds of mental anxiety. If you have grudge against an individual or something unpleasant terms with  someone, forgive him or settle the issue unilaterally by suffering partial or even total loss. Taking partial or total loss is far better than suffering from continuous agony, and leaving disputes in legacy to offspring’s. Taking revenges on opponents and ignoring possibilities end someone’s talent and energy in smoke. When results do not come up to someone’s expectations, it hurts one badly. A peaceful mind can better focus on issues and solve problems smoothly. Mental peace gives the brain enough time to think creatively.   

The majority of people seek mental contentment in prayers, but they don’t know the fact that prayer is not a mere asking for favours. Rather prayer is a realization of the God-power within them. Prayer is an understanding that we are the heirs of God and no evil has power over us. Prayer is a concept that we can if we desire. Prayer is our heart’s real desire…….. prioritized by an individual’s peaceful mind. Glenn Clark says: “Never is progress achieved by the masses. Creation ever remains the task of the individual”.  Long-term remedy for seeking mental satisfaction exists in respecting humanity, joining sports, enjoying nature, reading books, loving art and studying literature. Those who have no such a single activity in life, fall prey to doctor’s mercy and would join the great majority soon before natural departure.  According to scientists, humans have never used more than 10% of their brain. The matter of great concern to me is that most of our brain remains unused, for it has no enough time for ruminating and thinking.  Carlyle says: “This city, with all its houses, palaces, steam engines, cathedrals and huge, immeasurable traffic and tumult, what is it but a thought…….embodied in brick, in iron, smoke, dust, palaces, parliaments, coaches, docks and the rest of it!”    In the end, let’s meet Archimedes who once wished: “Give me the base of support, and with a lever I’ll move the world”. Here the base of support is a content-cum-creative mind. So, have a peaceful mind, be creative and move the world!!!

Author

Prof Fazal Tanha Gharshin

Lecturer at degree college pishin, Balochistan (Pakistan)

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