Building Contentment

Contentment: Something that we have a hard time grabbing ahold of in this consumeristic culture. 

What does it mean to be content & how can it help you make better and more financially sound decisions? 

In this episode we talk about contentment and why it is good for your overall emotional & financial health. We will talk about some practical steps of helping build contentment. 

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Transcript

00:01 Hi everyone and welcome back to the next episode of the Confident Dollar Podcast. Today we are talking about contentment. Today's episode is about contentment and what it is, why it's important, and how it can help you reach your financial goals and save money.

00:21 I think contentment is such an important thing to kind of wrap your mind around and think on because we live in a culture that is so not content and not helping you try to be content.

00:37 It actually wants the opposite from you and so you know when you talk to people about money and you see spending habits and trouble with instant gratification culture and just all these things that a lot of it comes down to being content in in your finances and content in your life with where you are

00:55 and it doesn't mean you know it's it's one of those tricky things it doesn't mean like you have to you're so you're content and so you're you're want to stay there you can still strive for things and move forward and have goals and aspirations that you're working towards but what does it mean in your

01:12 daily life to be content and how that can that affect how you spend money and how you save money and so I just wanted to take this episode and address that and really dig into contentment a little bit and uhm see if we can't learn how to have some more contentment in our lives uhm in which is just so

01:34 opposite and counter cultural to uhm just how we currently live so I hope you enjoyed this episode I hope it's helpful for you uhm as you listen to it and uhm if you do like it please share it with somebody who might also benefit from it share the love uhm that's helpful for the podcast and if you could

01:53 also subscribe uhm and if you feel so inclined to leave a 5 star review as well all of those things are just ah simple ways that you can ah support the podcast and getting this out to others uhm as they can we continue to teach and learn about finances and bring confidence uhm to your financial life.

02:14 So thank you for doing that if you have done those two things already. So let's get into it. So contentment uhm what is it?

02:24 And why is it so important for overall financial well-being and emotional well-being? Uhm so contentment is really just being at peace with where you are.

02:37 So like just like feel that in your shoulders. A little bit like just being at peace with where you are in your life right now.

02:48 And again this doesn't mean that you have to get too comfortable there and that means that's where you're like I'm staying here or it's not an excuse for lazy.

02:56 Laziness or apathy or just giving up and not striving towards things but it's just having that peace of like that's fine here's where I want to go but I'm I'm very at peace with where I am right now.

03:09 And I mean think about it you all we all know. We all who it's always easier to think about somebody else than ourselves but we all know someone who's just so not like this and and maybe you know very clearly this is so not you but it's so easy to always be looking at like you're so not content we're

03:29 not you know I want to be married or and I want to have kids or I want to I want my kids to be older or like we're we wish every stage of our life away to the next stage because we see other people there and we want to be there uhm.

03:44 We, we just can't, we have such a hard time as humans in our human condition just enjoying where we are in our life right now and the idea of contentment is just really being at peace with where you are in your life right now uhm.

04:00 While also, because I am someone who's like yeah let's, let's go, let's achieve that next goal, let's, what are we doing next, like while also moving forward and growing as a person, but, but having, but in a different way, right, it's kind of in a different way when you're content and at peace with 

04:16 where you are right now as well. And there's really, I would say, kind of one big main barrier to contentment, uhm, that we all struggle with.

04:32 And uhm, that's going to be comparison, uhm, I mean, you've I'm sure heard the saying that comparison is the thief of joy, and that's a hundred percent accurate.

04:45 I mean, think about your life. In all, you know, how you can, you can even let good things get ruined by comparison of what other people are doing.

04:56 Like you just went on a trip and you know, you went on this really nice trip. You were super excited to go on it and you went on it.

05:03 And then if you got back. You know, you're scrolling social media and you see someone else went on a better trip.

05:08 So now it's like you weren't even that, now you're not even that happy that you just went on your trip because they got to go on this better trip and I want to do that.

05:16 I don't even want to do what I just did. I want to do, I want to go on this other trip.

05:20 This looks so much cooler, this looks so much better. So we're just comparing all the time and in all that comparison we are just living this life completely uncontent because it's constantly like well they have this car and they have this house and this and that and the other.

05:36 And it just will go on forever because let me tell you, I mean I don't have a giant house but I do know that there will always be someone with a bigger house or more money or a better car or There's just there's always someone with more.

05:56 There's always going to be someone that's farther along in their career, or they're building their business or or You name it.

06:03 There's always going to be something that we can compare to that will stir up those feelings of discontentment. And the problem is in our culture is it's we just face this so often and just all the time with social media and just being so intertwined and in tune to other people's lives but not knowing

06:24 . All the actual details we only just see what's put out there and so you create the narrative behind what's put out there thinking that you know okay you see this house that's purchased by someone you know who's your age and you're like okay you know I talk to a lot of my clients I live in.

06:40 I live in Southern California and so do a lot of my young clients as well and it's you know people like how are we ever going to afford a house around here uhm this is insane prices have just gone up so much and it's just so expensive and then you know you see someone your age who who.

06:56 Yes, purchase a home right and it's like okay well how did they how did they do that right so you create the narrative behind that because you're comparing your story of what you know every detail to to someone else's little tiny story that you don't know any of the details to or just least what they've

07:13 put on social media or maybe you kind of either you know they're kind of their friend your friend so they tell you some of the information but you don't know all the details of their lives and you're building this narrative around these comparisons and in turn you're just in this cycle of constant disconnection

07:28 and discontentment because you're constantly comparing yourself to others. This is so unhealthy financially and this is so unhealthy emotionally because we're not designed to be like that.

07:45 We're not designed to uhm just have this, you know, constant state of, of comparison. It's, it's not good for our souls.

07:54 Uhm and the reality is, is that you are where you are for a reason. You are, you live where you live for a reason.

08:03 You uhm are in the stage of life that you're in for a reason. And so the sooner you can recognize that and you can be content in that and you can be grateful in that, uhm.

08:16 The sooner you'll just have so much more peace in your life, uhm, and that will lead to better financial decisions, uhm, and that's like the end goal, but obviously what's more important is the peace in your life, uhm.

08:30 So, comparison. It's just, it, it, it breeds discontentment, uhm, I don't know if, you know, would love to hear an open conversation with some of you as you're thinking through this.

08:42 What other things do you feel like in your life lead to discontentment? So that opposite, so not, not a piece of where you are, but actually just that unsettling feeling of where you are.

08:57 And maybe you don't see comparison as the main one. But if I look at my life or I look at how I operate.

09:04 I definitely see that, having that comparison as the main theme that leads to that, that thief of taking that contentment away.

09:16 That comparison is really the thief of joy. So how can you get contentment? How do you, how is that something that you can achieve?

09:31 It's not something you're just going to stumble into. I will tell you that for sure. Contentment is something you're going to have to actively choose on a daily basis every single day.

09:44 It will not be some, and eventually it's like a muscle. I do think you can get better at it as you practice it, as you exercise that muscle.

09:54 But it's not a natural inclination for us as humans. I would say one, so the biggest one of the factors in leading to contentment is going to be gratitude.

10:08 Being grateful. A lot of people do this in multitude of ways of spending time journaling, or just writing out a list of things you're thankful for but practicing gratitude will definitely help bring contentment into your life.

10:23 So eat well. Even if you're, let's say you have a really dire financial picture right now, and so you're like, what do I have to be content with?

10:31 I'm in this much debt, like up to my eyeballs and it just causes so much stress and anxiety for my family.

10:37 I don't have a job.. I, you know, you're sick maybe and have health issues that are leading to multiple financial issues and you just don't feel like there's anything to be content around or really even grateful for.

10:56 And that, that's hard. I mean, so this is not diminishing how hard that, how hard life may be for you.

11:06 Financially or health wise, I don't know. Obviously everybody has a different story and you're listening to this in a different place than I am.

11:13 And so I'm sorry if that's where you're at and I pray that that's not where any of my listeners at, but I do know that this is a big role and the likelihood is that someone in a very tough spot.

11:27 . Mm. So, like what is there to be grateful for? And I don't, again, don't mean this in a way that's going to like diminish anything that's hard in your life that you're going through right now.

11:40 But I do think that you will find that there's there is still a lot to be grateful for even in those hard seasons.

11:48 And sometimes those hard seasons actually are able to help calibrate us in a better way that easier seasons can. And so I know for hard seasons that I've been 
through in my life.

12:00 Umm that you do actually end up finding so much to be grateful for that is right there but the hard is kind of overshadowing it.

12:11 And so I would just encourage anybody with where you're at right now is to just make a list of things that you're grateful for.

12:16 Umm things that you are thankful for that you have in your life and do them amongst different categories. So if you're really struggling in wanting to be in a different life phase than you are right now, I would think through what you're grateful for in the life phase that you are currently in.

12:32 Umm and again that can be hard because you want to be in the next one. Maybe you're really trying, you know you're trying to get pregnant and you really want to be a mom but you're struggling in getting pregnant and so what can you be grateful for?

12:48 For in a season of not being where you want to be when it comes to having kids but what can you be grateful for right now as you're still preparing your heart?

13:04 For that hopefully next season that's around the corner. So spend some time being grateful and writing down that list of things that you have that you're thankful for.

13:17 And two I would say is humility. Thanks for They say humility is not thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less when we are in a constant state of comparison.

13:28 All we're doing is thinking of ourselves. We're only ever we're just consumed with ourselves. We're consumed with ourselves and and We'll you in the next how it compares to others around us.

13:38 And that again is not a healthy place to be for a human when you're consumed with yourself. We're not again designed for that either.

13:49 And so I really do think that having humility and thinking of yourself less and spending more time thinking of others will help practice you building this contentment muscle.

14:03 So if you're struggling in this area, something that's tangible that you could do is is fine. . . Find a way to serve someone else.

14:10 Find a way to serve others. To put yourself aside to go in serving somebody else that is in a more difficult position than you.

14:20 And when we do that, it has a funny way I of helping us realize like we we do have a lot to be thankful for so if you're having trouble writing that list of things to be thankful for.

14:31 Serving somebody else or putting yourself in a position to do something for somebody else rather than focus on yourselves a lot of times can help build that.

14:40 Thanks for that gratitude through doing that. So again you can't just stay in this self-consumerism world of just only ever focus on yourself.

14:53 You're you're not going to build contentment that way. You're only We'll see you We'll see you week. You're going to dig yourself in a further financial difficult situation because you're just you're doing it because of comparing to others all the time and not coming from that place of contentment and

15:07 gratitude of where you currently are. How much money you currently have. What's been interesting. That's it to you right now.

15:16 So okay so you can you know a couple of tangible ways to build contentment in your life to work on building contentment and practice that muscle.

15:27 But wooooo Why can contentment affect your finances? I mean I think it goes without saying pretty obviously but let's just discuss that right?

15:37 Why how can this how does this have an effect on your finances? Content people are a lot more likely to save money.

15:44 There are a lot more likely to put money towards their future rather than spend for now because they're more at peace with where they are right now.

15:51 So they're okay. They're willing to sacrifice in the short term for the long term. They're just have a better mindset.

15:59 They're just coming from a different place mentally to be able to make wiser financial decisions and be like okay I can we can we can set this aside for now.

16:07 We don't have to buy that right now because I'd rather put this and make sure I'm saving my 15% for retirement or I'd rather live you know really below our means right now so we can get out of debt because that's more important.

16:21 They're just able to function and make decisions in a a way that's the not based off of that instant gratification and and need for you know keeping up with the Jones is it's from a wiser place because they are in a more umm a better foundation spot for their finances.

16:42 They'll like I said they'll sacrifice more of their lifestyle currently to get out of debt they're just able to make those decisions easier for grow the vacation or shopping on this and buying that extra because they do have their their mind right and their their goals set for their future and they're

17:01 willing to get to them. Thank you. And then three they just live their lives with more of their hands open rather than a close best and that can have a really big impact again not just financially but also I'm here. I'm you're here. So, thank you Thank you. Oh, for your emotional well being as well.

17:24 And so it's that goes back to that being focused on yourself if you're constantly comparing versus being focused on others around you and looking for opportunities to give to serve and to help people around you rather than just being so focused inwardly.

17:50 So those are some ways and practical ways that you can kind of work towards that contentment and build that in your life and get yourself on that just wiser, more foundationally secure playing field in order to make Thanks for watching! better decisions for your finances so it's just less chaotic chaotic

18:16 it's less like on the hamster wheel it's getting yourself off that hamster wheel it's being more at peace it's being slower to make decisions and taking deeper breaths and just the the view in which you're making your decisions out of is a such a different place versus if you cannot get yourself into

18:37 to this place of being content in grateful. For where you are in your life. So I hope those are helpful try them out and see if you can help shake that up in your own life and see any differences and how you spend your money and how you budget and how 
you're just saving for your long term financial goals

18:57 . So thanks for joining on this episode always love to have these conversations and continue learning more about both money mindset and investing and all the things that that we address on this podcast.

19:12 So stay tuned for that next episode and again share this with a friend who you might find who you think would find helpful and go in and subscribe or leave a review.

19:23 Those are all ways you can help continue to spread the love. Hope you guys have a great day.