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Book Club // Contentment, Part 2

7.22.2016 • 1 Comment

Hi everyone! We’re discussing the contentment chapter from The Finishing School (Join our FB group here!).

Today I am sharing my answers to the homework and prepping for a week of taking action on everything I learned last week but first, I wanted to share this story about my car.

The-Finishing-School-Contentment-Chapter-2I have driven the same car since I graduated college in 2007. It was a brand new Honda Civic that I spent three years paying for. Truthfully, up until two years ago or so, I still felt like my 7 years old (at the time) car was brand new. I LOVED it! Since then though, I have grown so impatient to buy something new. Maybe it’s the expectation that if you have kids, you get an SUV or minivan but something created such discontentment in me over the last year or so about this car. I was ready for something with tinted windows to keep the heat out, air condition in the back seat for my sweet girls, something without all the dents and cracks and dirt. As I was driving the other day, I couldn’t help but feel like I should be grateful for this car I can’t wait to say goodbye to. It’s running. It allows me to drop Vivi off at school. It’s safe. It’s air-conditioned. Our family has two cars. That’s a blessing y’all. What I learned was, even in the exact same circumstance, I can either be miserable in my car or so grateful to own something that serves my family. No circumstance needed to change for my mindset to change. That’s contentment. And by golly, I’m much happier with it.

A few questions from the homework:

What things cause you the most discontentment?  

When thinking of physical actual things, it would have to be clothes. I wash it wrong and it shrinks. I buy something cheap and it’s easily deformed or looses it’s shape. My satisfaction with clothes so often only lasts a few wears so I’m constantly in a state of feeling like I NEED more.

What moments are you weakest?  

Moments where I have a decent excuse or reason to veer from the plan. As if my plan for contentment should only work in ideal situations. In the book, I talked about having our whole family sick. This year, just this past week, I found myself needing dresses for my father-in-laws visitation and funeral. I legitimately did not have anything appropriate for it that fit me and thought the only answer was to shop. I ended up calling a friend to borrow something and she had just what I needed. I didn’t need to spend anything on something that has in the past, very much felt like a necessity.

Favorite quote from the chapter. 

Ah! The pinnacle of contentment. When I can look at the stuff and not instantly feel the need to buy it, oh that will be a happy day indeed.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! What were your favorite takeaways from the chapter?

tfsad2

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Comments (1)

Let me share my car story – I drive an 11-year-old car and the thing that keeps me content is NO car payment 🙂 🙂