Can you be both CONTENT and MOTIVATED at the same time?

Question

I ask because if not, should we strive to be content?

Breezy, if you in fear you may lose contentment in the future, that fear alone means you are not fully content now.

Hate this... If you are now content with all the knowledge you have, why would you want to go to college?

Shabarak...the drive to produce art or music means you are not content without its creation.

Answer 1

Yes. I am content to be motivated and motivated to stay content. [This is not to be a smarty].

Motivation should not destroy contentment; in my opinion it would not be motivation if this were happening.
It would be obsession, or a drive that is not healthy.

To be content involves a lot of inner peace and lack of self.
Unfortunately, nearly everything we hear about involves "SELF", now.

Answer 2

Motivation comes first before contentment. How could you achieve the latter if there is the absence of the former. One should motivate to do something until the right time comes and you will say i am now contented. Unless your are not contented you will be motivated to strive for more to reach your goal of contentment. Therefore, both could not be at the same time. This two are completely interconnected but motivation must go first before content follows.

Answer 3

From experience I'd say it is possible to be content and motivated at the same time. Especially if one is creative. Content with one's life and family, yet still motivated to explore painting etc, or play music, or pursue other work for the joy of it (along with the fragility of the chase). Some call it "divine discontent" - but I see it as part of the contentment and canot be truly content without it. Though perhaps discontent does come into it somewhere - and can certainly add an edge and powerful drive to motivation. Nothing is singular in life. That's the rich joy of it - the sugar and salt.

Answer 4

You can be content and motivated at the same time.
I am content with my life the way it is, but am still motivated to make sure I stay content and maybe even improve.

Good question.

LOL I do not fear losing contentment, just think it takes some effort on my part to keep that contentment.

Answer 5

I think the state of contentment incorporates the most energetic of motivation. At least for me, the few brief stretches of smooth going, most productive times have been when I had an inexplicable, underlying contentment.

Answer 6

Only for a brief moment should they overlap. If you reach a goal then you can be content for having attained success in that area but then that should motivate you to keep going.

Answer 7

My content is motivation, my reality is cyclical need, my Will is positive and my Judgment is negative. Fear robs me of my ability to experience peace, beauty and contentment. That's negative.

hope
will
purpose
competence
fidelity
love (in intimate relationships, work and family)
caring
wisdom


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick_Erickson

Answer 8

oh definitely bc lets say you just got a scholarship...well you're not automatically going to want to ditch college and start working right? You're going to be motivated to strive, be better and finish college. But lets say you just made a big mistake or you did something wrong, you're going to be motivated to be better or do better next time, and you dont have to be content.

In other words...yes to both
lol

Answer 9

Yes, I can be content knowing that I am helping others and that in its self is a great motivation.

I have lots of info that I think you will find quite helpful and enlightening:

http://360.yahoo.com/blorm_multaeeneea_lavacom (For tons of inspirational info)

http://ecowellness.multiply.com/ (For all the environmental info)

Let us all strive for a greener/brighter future by helping to create a solid foundation for future generations to build upon, so we can hand them a beautiful world, filled with never ending awe and wonders!!

Where peoples differences and uniqueness are accepted, where we all live as one, helping one another so that we can all play our own mysteriously beautiful melodies in the never ending, awe inspiring, song of life :-)

I truly have faith in humanity and believe that someday our lives and the world in which we live will truly be transformed for the better.

Answer 10

I am content with who I am, what I do and my life, but motivated to do various things, so yes.