What’s wrong with being comfortable?
I am not ashamed to admit to being easily contented. I don’t need a lot to feel happy. However occasionally I have to explain this to people who deem that my life is somehow lacking.
In danger of repeating myself to death, I’ll say this again. I’ve got a job. I’ve got good friends and family around me. I’ve got a roof over my head, even though it isn’t my own roof. I got enough money to spend on myself and on people whom I care about, and I’ve got enough to eat. Like the rest of my family, I’m debt free. I’m even managing to save at least 20% of my disposable income each month. I can afford a nice holiday once a year and occasionally even splurge on nice clothes and toys.
So I feel that I already have enough. Plus I’m putting enough aside for my future. More money would be good. More would be a bonus but I don’t need it. To some people the accumulation of wealth is a worthy pursuit. But I’m not like that. I’m not ambitious enough to see the point to it.
Plus due to pure luck, I am not like others who were born into the right family or circumstance, so to get more money means I would have to work extra hard for it. And if you ask me to choose between having lots of money but no time to spend it or less money with a better quality of life, my answer is obvious.
I don’t feel the need to move myself out of my comfort zone when I don’t see anything wrong with it. Which isn’t to say that I don’t admire people who build up great wealth from a humble background, because I do. I guess I’m just wired differently, and what makes you happy in life does not necessarily apply to me.
And yeah, I’m ok with being single too. 
18 Responses to “What’s wrong with being comfortable?”
Leave a Reply
You might also be interested in these
- Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – plagiarism isn’t
- Like a eunuch
- What’s on your mind, Mr. Ooi?
- What’s wrong with hard labour?
- Do the right thing
hi marcus! this is fiona. i am new to your blog and must say that you have a flair for writing. you are indeed gifted
And congrats on finding contentment in simple pleasures.
. You did it…Congaratulations !
fiona: thanks for the high praise and welcome to the blog!
yt: thanks!
Mnay people would be so envious. You’ve got the key to happiness, that’s most important.
You and I are similar in this way. It also doesn’t take much to make me happy. As long as I am reasonably happy in my job, have good friends and family around me and everything is going reasonably well in my life, I am content. I don’t have any particular desire to work 70 hours a week and earn a 400k salary. I would rather work less but enjoy my work and have free time to do the things I enjoy. I am also one that is quite content with being single as long as I have close friends around me. If something happens to go pear-shaped in my life I know I have people I can always rely on.
Unfortunately sometimes I find that people like us are too few and far between! Some people are NEVER happy. They complain endlessly about their job, their relationship, their friends and their family. Yet they still stay in these situations. THey won’t leave the job they hate, the partner they complain endlessly about or break off friendships that have expired.
If someone comes to me feeling depressed over a tragedy they can’t control (for example a family death) I will feel sympathy for them and try to help them out. They have genuine reason to be feeling so down. However, if people are only feeling miserable because of their own doing and they can CHANGE their situation, I don’t feel much sympathy at all.
It’s good to meet optimistic people that are happy with the basics in life and don’t feel the need to constantly complain about things that a) they can change and b) are really very trivial. GOod post!
All who agree, say “Aye!”
I guess it’s because people can only relate what they see to how it applies to their life. So if they were in your situation, they’d probably be not satisfied, and therefore they cannot understand how you can be.
Oh and I agree with what girlstar7 says that some people are never happy. I think it becomes a habit to complain about every ol’ thing. And likewise, I do think it’s possible to get into the habit of thinking / behaving positively.
That’s why this bunny went zen- it was my effort to think more positively and blog more positively and complain a whole lot less. And wadya know? I’m actually happier now. Lol.
Absolutely nothing wrong with being contented. I’m in with you on this, as long as you are happy, to hell with what others says, they don’t live your life. In fact, I’m quite envious of you after having read thru most of your blogs up till page 100+. Carefree is bliss.
blur ting: yeah I really think I do have the key to happiness. I guess my attitude is mystifying to those who think of the 5C (or equivalent) as must-have items in life.
girlstar7: yeah agreed – I’m with you on the ppl who complain about how they should be paid more for their jobs, while at the same time do not see that one way out of it is to spend less. Do they really need a big house, a fancy car, branded clothes etc???
bunnygoeszen: yeah yeah like they are applying their own standards onto me. Like if they are happy with the things that they have, they wonder how can I possibly be happy if I don’t have the same. And being “Zen” is good!
Kelvin: glad to have you agreeing! And thanks for trawling through 100(!) pages of this blog. That’s amazing. Either that or you were just *really* bored.
You’re right on how everyone is wired differently, some people are more ambitious.
I think the key is balance, we must seek to work hard to achieve the goals we want, but not forgetting to slow down and smell the roses.
Totally agree. I am happy as long I can live comfortably and my friends and family are happy and healthy. Too many numbers in the bank account brings much stress.
Need to venture out of comfort zone should come naturally once one feels stagnated. And then again it shouldn’t be about the $.
Well basically I have got too much free time at work (hope boss don’t see this). Lower pay = less work responsibility, hehe. I’m happy with it.
Part of the reason is also because it’s interesting to see how an asian migrant gets to settle down in aussie land.
It’s gd to be contented with whatever you have. I’m that kind who’s more of an ambitious kind, sometimes will feel abit more miserable than the rest if I can’t achieve certain things.
Not very healthy but that’s how I push myself forward.
Anyway, it really boils down to what you want, how much and how far.
herman: yeah other ppl are more ambitious and more willing to sacrifice things that I’m not. Definitely need balance in our lives.
Om: true that, it should never be about the money.
Kelvin: nice one about free time at work. Heheh. With rgds to the migrant experience, I would say that it’s a whole lot easier now than when I first came. The downside is that one may not integrate into the general Aussie life as much because of a greater number of your own kind.
mf: basically you are a perfectionist. Make sure you stay healthy and like herman said above, maintain balance.
I hear you man, people have this hang up that we should all be a certain way and that everyone knows how everyone else should live their life. But the more people who live freely and people with different life styles that I meet the more freedom of thinking I get.
Why do we all have to live the same way and have the same goals and milestones is beyond me, do what makes you happy as long as its hurting no one.
for further reading run a search on “automatic thoughts” –
BigZapfer: too right man!
Hi,
Just wanted to say that your openess about your approach to life is both comforting and reassuring. I’m going through abit of a soul searching journey right now and reading your posts about life and positive thinking have been pretty inspiring. Thanks and keep writing!
Constance: Hi! I’m glad that I’ve helped you a little somehow. Life is not about destinations but the journey itself. A lot of ppl get hung up about milestones and achievements – I care more about the ppl and lives that I come across.
[...] What’s wrong with being comfortable? [...]