The Secret of Contentedness by Andre

The Secret of Contentedness by Andre - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

High school is a time when we are supposed to be doing a lot of learning. We are supposed to learn many of the skills we need to be successful in society; however, I do not think we always learn the most important things within the walls of a school. For me, the most important thing I learned in the last four years was taught to me within the walls of my home.

Everyone says high school is about having a good time, but what I found is that pursuing fun in and of itself is something that leaves you empty and full of regret. Instead of searching for things that are fun, I learned it is better to search for how to all things I do enjoyable.

Contentedness is the word I have been alluding to. Contentedness is a satisfaction with something; a belief in its sufficiency. To be content, one has to not feel that immense pressure to gain more. I learned to pursue this contentedness from my family that displays it consistently.

When a day is going badly, or I find out that I cannot do everything that I wanted to do, I am faced with a decision. I can decide to be content with what I have, or I can become intoxicated with negative feelings about what I would rather my life be like. By deciding to be content, I can artificially push away the stress and trials around me. As I previously stated, this action is artificial in its effect. It does not remove my problems; it simply pushes them out of my mind. Though this basic method may be effective to a degree, it breaks down unless the contentedness changes from artificial to something real.

Now there is the question: how does contentedness become real? The answer is faith. This word is heavy laden with connotations of all kinds, but it should not be avoided. Without being convinced of better things existing in this world, how can we be content? In addition, how can we be content if faith is based on something as artificial as the contentedness mentioned earlier?

From this point it is logical to conclude that true contentedness must come from a faith in something that is real and remains real. Faith must be placed in something unchanging. I believe that I can be content because I place my faith in something that is just that. The God of the Bible’s case is supported by manuscripts dating to the time before Jesus’ birth, these document predict his life and death.

Because of my faith, I had the foundation upon which I could build the real contentedness that I learned from my family. This ability to maintain a positive attitude through hardship is one of the greatest aspects of my personality, and the most important thing I have learned in the last four years of my life.