What makes you feel content?

What makes you feel content at the end of the day?

Do you ever think about what makes you feel happy? What makes you feel satisfied with yourself and your life? Do you ever stop thinking about those things? What more can you do to experience that serenity?

Most of the times, we don’t feel content with our lives. But even the more cynical, the more disillusioned of us, must have something that produces that feeling of satisfaction and happiness, from time to time.

I’m sure that if you stop for a moment, silence the bustle of your everyday life, sit down and think hard about it, you will find at least one thing that makes you say “THIS is what makes my life worth living.”

If you can’t find anything, not even a thing, then you should seriously consider doing something about it. Do you want to be one of those people who never feel content at the end of the day? I bet you don’t.

The simple things

I have several things that make me feel happy with my life.

Writing is one of them. It’s a passion I have since I was a child and used to write stories to pass away long, solitary afternoons. The act of sitting down and writing, be it my blog, my personal journal, or a new story, is enough to make me feel more comfortable in my own skin. But what really satisfies me is the act of creating something new. When I sit down and work on a new chapter, or a new character sheet, or a new outline, I perceive a deep feeling of satisfaction that spreads from my stomach to all my being.

But writing is not the only thing that makes me happy. Spending time with my husband makes me happy. A day isn’t complete and fulfilling if I can’t spend at least part of it talking with him. Or just sitting together in silent companionship.

Another thing is reading. Oh, the joys of reading a good book, sprawled on the couch, wrapped up in a cover, with a cup of good, steaming tea in hand. Being transported away in different worlds by other author’s words is a fantastic feeling.

What?

You thought that the sense of contentment should come from more significant things, such as saving lives in a hospital or being an important manager in some prestigious board?

Sure, I’m certain those amazing doctors and talented managers feel content at the end of a good day of work. Or maybe not.

But since not all of us can be doctors, or war heroes, or managers of major companies — and not all of us are destined to be — we must identify what can create that sense of fulfilment.

Foto di silviarita da Pixabay

Fulfilment

Many people who know me asked me why I write, at some point. Why do I voluntarily assign myself workload in addition to my full-time job as a chemist, the housekeeping, the tasks that come with adult life? Why do I deliberately fill what should be my leisure time with a demanding activity that leaves me with little to no free time and often makes me feel like I’m behind schedule?

The answer is simple.

Fulfilment.

Waking up at five before going to work to cram in a few hundred words before the day even begins makes me feel content. Staying up in the evening when all I want is to go to sleep to write just another scene makes me feel content.

Achieving goals

So, in the end, what it is? What makes us feel happy? Ticking an item on a list. That’s it. That’s what it takes, nothing more.

You, yourself, the person you are, enters the game when you compile that list. You decide what goes on that list, what is vital for you to accomplish.

So sit down in front of a piece of paper and ask yourself “what would make me feel content at the end of a day, each day?”, “what I need to accomplish to feel my day was not wasted on a series of busy nothings?”.

Is it spending more quality time with your children or your spouse? Is it finally taking up your brushes and that white canvas in your basement? Is it spending some time by yourself reading, or meditating, or hitting the gym? Is it writing a page of that book you have always wanted to write? Is it finally find the motivation to search for a new, more satisfying job?

Sit down and write that list. Then pin it to your fridge or your mirror so that you see it every day. The tricky part is making time every day for those things on the list because days always seem too short.

However, identifying what you really want to do is the first step.

So, tell me. What makes you feel content at the end of the day?


Before you go… my novel Secrets of a Handbag is available in all the major online stores!

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2 Replies to “What makes you feel content?”

  1. Alessandro Tinchini

    Writing really is about fulfillment. It also is to me, at least. And it’s a miracle. A little, big miracle. I know it is when my characters start to act on their own, ignoring my directions and leading me to other unexpected, wonderful goals. It is when they take action and revert the situation, creating plot twists and reviving the story. It is when they take me away and for a time, I’m not dreaming anymore; I’m just living a whole new life.

    Keep up the good writing, Irene. Read you soon.

    • Irene Aprile

      Thank you for stopping by!
      Writing is about fulfilment for me too 🙂 If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be able to find the will to sit on the chair every day and do the hard work.

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