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How to Balance Ambition and Contentment in Life Lucy Baxter

In today’s fast-paced world, everyone is struggling to get a better job, a bigger home and working day and night in order to save for retirement. In the process, many people burn out as they live a highly stressful life. Therefore it is very important to balance ambition and contentment in life. In this post, we talk about How to Balance Ambition and Contentment in Life.

Experts have clearly said that contentment is one of the major reasons for leading a happy and peaceful life. It is important to value things in life. Take some time and find out the things that are important to you and which you cherish. Do not keep on striving to achieve more, as it is an endless cycle and you will never be happy.

First of all, try and list down the things which are important to you. What are the things that make you happy, for e.g., spending time with the family, playing a musical instrument, spending time on developing a hobby etc? Then look at ways in which your needs are being currently met. Are you self-sufficient or are you struggling to achieve your dreams? This analysis will help you in prioritizing things in life. You will need to make a choice of spending more time on things that give you happiness.

How to Balance Ambition and Contentment in Life

Today, let us look at some tips that will help us to balance our ambition and lead a contented life.

1. Stay away from negativity and comparisons.

Research has indicated that one of the main reasons for people feeling discontented is that they encourage negative emotions like bitterness, strife, jealousy and comparisons.

People are forever comparing themselves with their family members, friends and others with regards to the standard of living, material pleasures, prestige, fame, riches etc. This comparison often leads to depression, restlessness, anger and many other emotions, which in turn leads to health issues.

Discontentment often leaves scars on your soul, which are very difficult to erase. Hence it is important to consciously guard your heart against any bitterness, strife or comparison.

2. Always live in the present.

Living in the present is one of the important characteristics of leading a healthy life. Many people are stuck with their past mistakes and don’t want to let go and move on, while others wait for a near-perfect future situation when they can be happy.

Remember in order to be happy one of the key things is to live in the present. Focus on the good things that are happening around you at this moment. Try and live these moments. Do not be overly worried about the things of tomorrow or disturbed about the things of the past.

3. Reflect on good things and appreciate them.

There are many good things that the day brings with it. Take time to appreciate all the good things in life. There is a  beautiful Christian song which says “Count your blessings and name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done”. Count your blessings and appreciate them. Be thankful to God and the people around you for the blessings bestowed upon you.

Reflecting on good things and appreciating the same will make you contented and happy. Be thankful for good health, the blessing of healthy children, family support, financial blessings like a good job, good house, beautiful weather etc. It does not have to be big things. When you reflect on all these small things, it will help you understand how privileged and blessed you are as compared to others.

4. Know the reality that more money will not give you more happiness.

Many people feel that the lack of money is the single biggest reason for their unhappiness. In reality, this is not true at all. Once you have more money, you may have a bigger home, bigger car, exotic vacations but these will not compensate for the happiness in your life. Real happiness comes from things which are non-monetary. So in your quest and ambition to have more money do not lose the significance of happiness that you presently have.

5. Stop getting impressed by social media.

Today, people are so addicted to social media that they keep comparing themselves with the lifestyle of other people. You will always find someone who is more healthy, more beautiful, richer etc. Many people upload on social media their family pictures of the exotic vacations they have been to, the luxurious restaurants that they eat food in, the branded clothes that they wear. With all this, people become more jealous of each other and try to outdo one another.

Stop comparing yourself and be content with what you have. This is the key which can help you not to get influenced by other people’s lifestyles. Do not become too obsessed with social media like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc and restrict your usage of the same.

6. Avoid complaining and whining about things which are not good in your life.

Many motivational experts will agree that our lives reflect what we speak. The Bible says that words have the power of life and death in them. You will become the reflection of what you say. Therefore it is very important to be careful of what you say. Refrain from saying negative things, complaining, self-pity etc. Always say encouraging and positive words which boost your self-confidence and self-esteem. Joyce Meyer has aptly said “Praise and be raised, complain and remain”.  Positive words can help you to stay contented and happy.

7. Simplify your life and avoid being a perfectionist.

Try and simplify your life by having limited choices. People who are happy and contented do not own many things and so their decision making is simple and easy. For e.g., they don’t have many houses to live in or cars to travel or wardrobes full of dresses, which will confuse them. Remove the clutter from your life and make your decision making simple.

Further, do not aspire to be a perfect person. Nobody is perfect in this world and stop insisting on the best. Be contented and happy with what you have and enjoy it.

These are some simple tips which will help you to balance your ambition and contentment in life. You may not be too ambitious or may not be too contented with the things of life. You need to maintain a harmonious balance in order to get the best out of life.

Hope you have enjoyed reading this article on How to Balance Ambition and Contentment in Life.

Please read our earlier articles on Inspiration.

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