Contentment Is Simply An Absence Of Regret
“It’s not hard to decide what you want your life to be about. What’s hard, she said, is figuring out what you’re willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about.”- Shauna Niequist
During my investment career, I was tasked with pursuing the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Achieving this designation involved passing three sequential exams, the last two of which were only offered annually on the first Saturday in June. As each exam involved six hours of rigorous testing, had pass rates between forty and fifty percent, and required comprehension of thousands of pages of text book material, it would be an understatement to say I spent all of my non-work waking hours buried in the books for several months each year.
One week before the exam date, I received a phone call from my mother. She was simply wondering whether I’d be able to visit for Mother’s Day. I was only an hour drive from home, however it was my final weekend to prepare and I still had hundreds of pages to review. Upon lamentably expressing I would be unable to visit, I heard the tone of my mother’s voice shift from excitement and optimism to sorrow and acceptance. It was in that moment I first felt the weight of the sacrifices I had been making. Shortly after our conversation concluded, I decided to pack my bags and make a day-trip home.
In the modern developed world, contentment is marketed as a process of acquisition. We’re prompted to chase qualifications, income, accolades, possessions, and social status at all costs. However, we’re not prompted to consider the sacrifices we make when engaging in this process. Given career aspirations monopolized my time, I was unable to make enough of an effort for the people I cared about. I was unable to prioritize my physical, mental, and emotional well-being. I was unable to entertain my creative interests. But, only from tolerating these inadequacies did I realize, contentment comes not just from the things we are able to endure, but also from fully accepting the things we are unable to experience.
It’s been many years since I’ve lived in a noteworthy accommodation, worked in a lucrative profession, or attained a competitive qualification, but it’s only been a few moments since I’ve felt a sense of contentment. It’s because I now have consideration for the sacrifices I’m making to engage in my pursuits. And I now worry far less about the things I can experience, and far more about whether I can accept the things I do not.
Originally published at www.gorsgonewild.com.
