Choosing to be content
A few years ago, I owned a business. Sometimes when the business was floundering, I would use my personal credit cards to pay for things it needed. I also charged my own necessities when the business couldn’t pay me. In other words, I leaned on my credit cards a lot. After a while, I racked up thousands in debt. I was already working a side job, but I took on another. I was stressed beyond belief.
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Meanwhile, standing on a street corner near my business, Shawn sold newspapers. He had been homeless and had served time in a previous life. Shawn had a big, contagious laugh, and never met a stranger. He was saving up to buy a car and to start a t-shirt business. Considering where he had risen from, Shawn would say he had plenty.
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What we have and what we don’t is often a matter of perspective. There were times I felt like I had little, living in my parents’ basement, working all the time, and not seeing an end to my financial struggles. But in reality, I always had everything I needed. And eventually, after seeking help, working hard, and minding my spending, I crawled out of debt.
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Contentment is intentional. We naturally want more. Choosing to be satisfied—and choosing not to spend, consume, and covet—leads to less wanting, less stress, more peace.
“I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty.”