Slow Living – Happy vs Content

Dictionary definitions:

Being content every day means not keeping up with The Jones’s, not moving from one trend to another, not focusing on what others are doing. The easiest way I have found to achieve this is to limit my media intake; I stopped using Facebook years ago and do my best to only be present on Instagram when I want to add something I have created, or when I am interacting with like-minded individuals.

It’s hard to see the beauty in everyday things if you are rushing from one job or place to another. If you are worried or anxious about the future or always focusing on getting to the next ‘thing’ then you are not present in the moment, not able to notice and appreciate the beauty around you, not able to be content.

I don’t always have a podcast on, we limit the TV and don’t watch channels with ads very often. By blocking out all of the ‘noise’ we are able to be present in ourselves and work towards what makes us content every day: slow mornings with a good breakfast, walks in the woods, building indoor dens with the children, family dinners, baking cakes… It might not sound like much to you but it’s what makes our family really content and connected to each other.

It doesn’t mean we don’t have passion, ambition, aims and hopes for the future, we do! Big ones! But if they don’t happen, we will be content with where we are; in our wonderful home, watching our children thrive, enjoying the happy moments like birthdays and Christmases but also still content with everything in between; our everyday lives.

Society (via the media and advertising) is telling us that to be happy all the time we need to buy X, our children will only be happy if they go to Y and we buy them Z, our home will only look good if we buy that sofa or redo our whole kitchen or buy a brand new car.

Contentment is saying no to that.

I don’t have a new Instagramable kitchen or a big flash car, but I also don’t have friends who judge me based on those things and more importantly, I don’t judge myself on those things. I know those material things don’t make us happy. Being together makes us happy. Connection makes us happy. So I am content with what we have and I am content with our journey because I know it brings us true lasting moments of happiness.

Ambition and desire aren’t bad traits in themselves but I urge you not to turn your want to’s into have to’s.

How do you work on being content in your everyday life?

Cookies and cuddles,

Livvy and Summer