“Office Hours” - Day 4
Sitting here holding space for connection.
I began this imitative on August 4 - staying at the Dupont Coffee Collective for 90 minutes every morning to be available to meet other Substack writers in real life. I am inspired to do so by a similar thing happening in Warsaw. I saw that and thought, “Why not?” If nothing else it provides me with an opportunity to be in the world, engaged and reflective.
We, together, constitute a small percentage of humanity. Through network effects, however, we can have a significant impact on…everything. Even if I meet no other Substack folks in person, I still connect to others even in simply witnessing their existence.
So my question to you: Are you suffering? Do you yearn for something? What would contentment mean to you? Is contentment something to be desired? What lights you up inside?
My reaction to your question is why do so many people confuse contentment with success or wealth or excitement? It seems to me that contentment comes after happiness and so many people never achieve happiness so they don’t arrive at contentment. I think they never find happiness because they chase wealth and success, but those things tend to be hollow and fleeting. Now, I’m not saying wealth and success are incompatible with happiness, but I firmly believe that those things alone can’t make one happy. They may help create the conditions where happiness can emerge, but only if they have the other primary ingredients, like good relationships.
Suffering to me is if I am either clinging or pushing away what is so contentment is being fully present with what is and not wishing it were different, even grateful that whatever is showing up is my teacher. That doesn't mean there aren't things that I want to accomplish or do, but I do them with presence with what is along the way. That's what initially came to me.