The quote below, which I read on Substack, resonated for a few reasons. For me, it gets at the idea of contentment. I am an admitted productivity nerd. I read all the books, I listen to all the podcasts. My interest, in part, comes from a drive to be better, and better…and better. All the time. However, like the futile goal of always trying to be ‘happy,’ such a goal is a mirage. Instead, I try to remind myself to put forth my best effort and be content with the results. If I do a solid job at work as a teacher, I’ve earned the right to contentment. This is true because my job is hard and the work I do contributes to the common good. Indeed, I’ve earned the right to create a boundary when I am home and to indulge in other pursuits, like reading, trying to stay fit, watching some college football, or hanging out with my family. Our media clearly focuses its attention on the stars, the incredible outliers in their various fields, which is understandable. I get it. Extraordinary achievements are laudable. However, it means most of us need to be vigilant and not get sidetracked into thinking we are not okay because we don’t measure up to the superstar outliers we are constantly seeing online and in the news. Especially if we are working hard and contributing.

Indeed, it often feels a bit radical to reject the idolization of ‘achievement.’ A quirk of my personality is that often when I have down time and I am thinking about what to do, I usually land on the same fork in the road: Sit down with a book or do some ‘work.’ Nowadays, I usually decide to read, but the nagging feeling that I am missing an opportunity to be ‘more productive’ lingers. It is my own toxic productivity hangover. When I really stop to think about it, I actually think I am more impressed with the good, helpful person who is truly content, than with the accomplished striver. Of course, the best in their fields have admirable qualities. Indeed, studying these folks is both interesting and helpful in many ways (it’s one of the reasons I love to read biographies). However, in my mind, true contentment, in a life that is still contributing to society, is more impressive, largely because it is so rare amidst the deluge of influences we all see that fuel our discontent.

I’m with Dr. Park: in a world obsessed with achievement, I want to celebrate contentment.