The Importance of Contentment

Hello friends, how is your week going?

It is the Christmas Holidays season. It is the time of the year when shopping becomes centre stage for most people. It is the season of gift giving and receiving. It is also the end of the year and signals the heralding of a New Year. It is also a time of reflection. It is time when many of us revisit the goals we set at the start of the year. We look back at our New Year’s resolutions for 2013 and take account of the thing we accomplished.

As I reflect on my year, one of my important goals for 2013 was to attend Malcolm’s high school graduation and to see him off to university. Malcolm is currently a student at the University of Ottawa. A second important goal for me was to take a step back from all my overseas travels, take a cut in income and switch gears to put plans and actions in place to pursue a professional speaking career. You may be asking why? Through my life a lot of people have told me that I am great role model and that I inspired and motivated them. I am also very confident that I have personal stories and experiences that others will find inspirational and uplifting.

In my endeavour to the lay the foundation to pursuit another career option I ratcheted up my involvement in the Toastmasters Programme in 2013 by being elected as Vice President for Education in City Centre Toastmasters Club. I also accepted the appointment as Governor for Area 67 which is Guelph, Ontario. Today I am also much more heavily involved in my community joining the Terry Fox Public School Council as co-chair. I am involved in a number of initiatives working with high school and college students as mentors as well as being an advocate against youth violence and human trafficking in the Greater Toronto Area. I am also coordinating a Holiday Season Food Drive to benefit the Salvation Army of Brampton. By all account I have had a wonderful year and I am looking forward to a wonderful New Year.

Why do we set goals for ourselves? We do it because we are ambitious. Can we be ambitious if we are always satisfied or settled based on where we are in our lives? If we are restless, dissatisfied and unsettled it is a sign of the lack of genuine contentment. Is ambition is the opposite of contentment?

Ambition causes us to struggle against situations we find ourselves in that we are dissatisfied or unhappy with. It may be we are dissatisfied with our possessions such as our house or car. We may be dissatisfied with our health and fitness. Ambition may even cause us to constantly question and evaluate our relationships with others. Is ambition a manifestation of discontentment? Why don’t we decide to focus on being satisfied in our present circumstances?

Being ambitious does not mean having little regard to the needs and rights of others. It does not mean we should be selfish and focus entirely on ourselves. With ambition we should pursue our goals with vigor, passion and enthusiasm but as always take the time to do something for others and Support Someone’s Dream. Resist all temptation where your fierce ambition drives you to a point that you hurt others in the pursuit of your goals and that you are blinded to the destructive nature of your actions.

For me contentment is equally as important as ambition. I am satisfied with the things I have accomplished not just in 2013 but throughout my entire life. Next week for example I will celebrate my twentieth wedding anniversary which my friend Chris Mathers told is remarkable. Is it truly remarkable to be committed for 20 years? Isn’t commitment a prerequisite for success?

I am guided not just by fierce ambitions but also by my sense of contentment. I have learned to give thanks and blessings for the smaller things in life but also to push myself to achieving difficult but attainable goals. My goals may not be as difficult as Elon Musk of SpaceX but they are challenging and attainable. Read Elon Musk and SpaceX’s Goal Setting and Success.

I don’t have a corner C-suite executive office in a skyscraper on Bay St. but I have had the experience of managing multi-million dollar projects. At the same time I am able to switch off from my computer and mobile devices at about 4.30pm most days to sit on the floor and roll play dough with 5 y.o Marisa.

Are you satisfied? Are you ambitious? Are you contented? Are you happy?

When we are dissatisfied our ambition pushes us to set goals and strive to achieve more. Contentment means we are comfortable. When we are content, we are not dependent on the creature for our comfort. It does not mean we lack ambition. Contentment is excellent and embodiment of happiness.

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.