I'm never content. Only driven.

Jill, I believe Attitudes of Gratitude is a series by M.J. Ryan. See Link

Draginol, doesn't being "driven" imply something of a loss of control? A car is driven, oxen are driven....you should be the driver. (OMG, I can't believe that I said that...sounds like a 1980s self improvement book.)

Gratitude and ambition are not mutually exclusive. You can be both. An "attitude of gratitude" is just another way of saying, "count your blessings".

Most content people tend to stagnate.

It is called complacency...or "fat, dumb, and happy". Being grateful is not necessarily the same thing. Being grateful is a path to happiness...not a roadblock.

Being grateful is a path to happiness...not a roadblock.

I agree that counting your blessings (i.e. being grateful) is the path to happiness if you tend to only have moments of gratitude every day.  If you tend to spend your days counting your blessing for what you have and being happy with what you have, you don't tend to not look for more though.

I don't think that you have to be "fat, dumb and happy" to be less than driven (and I take offense to the notion since I described myself as content).  I think most people aren't striving to meet their true happiness.  They go through the motions every day.  They feel "blessed" or grateful to have a "nice" house and a "nice" vacation once in a while.  How many people out there are driven to obtain their "dream house" or do someting they've always dreamed of doing?  In my experience, not many.

I don't think that the general population is "fat, dumb and happy".  I think being satisfied with what you have enough to not bother stepping out of your day-to-day ritual is pretty common.  I think most people are just trying to make the most of what they have every day and aren't striving for more.  Maybe that's okay.  But a lot of the people I know who would describe themselves as happy do things that would suggest otherwise.

 

Ciao, I'm off to behave like a child for as long as I can tolerate the cold. Be grateful. Be driven. Be crazy.

Amen to that sista'!  I think remembering your inner child is the key to true happiness.  Dreaming big dreams, being thrilled by the little things (like snow) and telling it like it is.  Kids also have huge ups and downs and aren't afraid to wish for crazy things.  I think we forget about those parts when we become "grown ups".  Getting old is mandetory but growing up is optional!

Gratitude and ambition are not mutually exclusive. You can be both. An "attitude of gratitude" is just another way of saying, "count your blessings". It is called complacency...or "fat, dumb, and happy". Being grateful is not necessarily the same thing. Being grateful is a path to happiness...not a roadblock.

I think this said it best.  I agree with BFD. You can be grateful and ambitious, and happy at both, or either.

I take offense to the notion since I described myself as content

I apologize if I offended. The tongue was firmly in cheek at that definition...but the following puzzles me:

I don't think that the general population is "fat, dumb and happy". I think being satisfied with what you have enough to not bother stepping out of your day-to-day ritual is pretty common. I think most people are just trying to make the most of what they have every day and aren't striving for more.

The second sentence is a definition of complacency...which in the first sentence you don't think the general population is...?? All I am saying is that you can be grateful for what life has given you and still want more. Gratitude is not necessarily complacency...

No, she said that they weren't "fat, dumb and happy". 

There are a lot of complacent people. They work the bare minimum and do nothing to strive for more.  If that makes them happy, I guess it is what it is.

I don't think happiness come from being complacent or driven.  it's way more individual than that.  Society couldn't be just one or the other, just like you can't have good without evil.