“The secret of contentment is knowing how to enjoy what you have, and being able to lose all desire for things beyond your reach.”

— Lyn Yutang

Leading a simple life is not a simple thing when you live in a world that urges you at every turn to complicate it.  With technology zooming along at breakneck speed, we are encouraged to replace items long before they have worn out.  Many things that once were bought at life-long possessions now seem to be almost disposable; and it is not only the Maytag repairman who sits idle.

It can be nearly paralyzing to try to make a decision about what sort of appliance or electronic device to buy.  With changes being manufactured on an almost daily basis, the ads seem to tell us that we should second-guess ourselves for fear of purchasing something that is obsolete by the time we first remove it from the box.  My sweetheart and I laugh from time to time about people we knew who were shopping for a new microwave.  Their old one had stopped working, and they were determined to find the best one on the market.  How big should it be?  Should it have a shelf that allowed them to cook two dishes at the same time, or should they go with a turntable that would allow for more even heating?  Which brand had the best record?  Which sale offered the best value?  This doesn’t sound too extreme until I tell you that a year later — a  year without a microwave — they still were poring through Consumer Reports and quizzing the salespeople at Sears.  They were so confused and so overwhelmed by the ever-changing choices offered to them that they became paralyzed in their ability to decide. We have been conditioned to feel inadequate and discontented unless we have the biggest, best, fastest and newest thing on the market.

This weekend, we were chatting about some young people we know who want desperately to find a lasting relationship that will offer them companionship and partnership for life.  They are sincere in their desire, but it seems that they keep hedging their bets and holding out for the biggest, best, newest and most current model of the person they are looking for.  I can’t help but wonder whether all the messages that we deserve perfection — even though the definition changes from day to day — has spilled over into relationships as well.  Has the next generation begun to shop for microwaves when seeking a life partner?  Will they feel disappointed when they have chosen someone who seems to fill the bill and then they see that a new model has appeared with extra features they had not considered when they made their decision?

My sweetheart and I are a bit eccentric when it comes to buying vehicles.  I suppose this is due in part to the fact that he is able to tinker and repair them when they break down; and it’s also due to the fact that we enjoy never making a car payment.  We buy the used vehicles that other people see as too old to be worth owning any more.  My last minivan, bought online for $1300, finally was sold to the lucky buyer this summer for $400.  It had no automatic door locks and the windows worked by hand cranks.  For each of the six years I drove Nellie, I would think of how wonderful it was that she had so few things that could break down.  I appreciated her lack of complication and her loyalty to getting me where I needed to go.  My new-old car has automatic locks and windows; and I will admit that I enjoy the convenience; but I also know that the day is likely to come when a motor will need replacement.  I realize as I enjoy the extra convenience that I was more than content using my muscles to open and close a window.

It has been nearly twenty-six years since I committed to a life-partner.  He came with no warranty and no guarantees.  He was not the flashiest model on the market, but neither was I.  I suppose we could have researched for another year or two and found a better microwave; but there just comes a time when we need to decide, commit, and learn to be content.  Contentment is not something manufactured and built into things.  It grows from the appreciation that what we have chosen may not do everything, but is reliable to do the things it promises.  Build contentment into your attitude.  When you turn on a burner to cook your breakfast, take a moment to appreciate that it is reliable to heat your food.  Appreciate the pan that withstands the heat and will do the job again and again.  Love the way your vehicle works and appreciate its commitment to carry you wherever you need to go.
Most of all, appreciate the people in your life and build a sense of gratitude for who they are.  Let the things you truly need and love be enough, and you will find that you are grateful for what you have.  Bigger, better, flashier, and newer really doesn’t matter when you learn that what you have is enough.