Don't worry, be content

There's euphoria and there's contentment.

Euphoria is rare and comes from rare events. It doesn't last. Even winning a gold medal at the Olympics wears off after a few days. The athlete may ask themselves:

"What now?"

Contentment, on the other hand, can be experienced every day.

Contentment can last days. It's the feeling of a good days work. The result of doing something meaningful. The result of helping others. The result of making order out of disorder.

Contentment is stable and reliable, absent catastrophes.

I'll share 3 deep experiences of content from my life:

2 years back, I volunteered in Mexico. The other volunteers were awesome. I spent time teaching, writing, running, and every evening, I meditated for 15 min. Weeks passed and one day, a profound content engulfed my mind.

Last winter, I meditated 1 hour every night. Despite the rush of Christmas, there were moments when I sat down at my desk, looked around and felt at profound peace.

A week ago, I felt flustered. I went for a walk in the woods. 1 hour into it, I realized that social media produces desire, and desire is often aimed at attaining euphoria. And that cleared my mind.

Meditation.
Walking in the woods.
Realizing how I might be letting voices of others (inner and outer) dictate my behavior.
Being part of a collective.
Doing work that matters to me.

Those are a handful of factors I've found.
Discover yours.

Seek contentment.