I Haven't Heard That One Before.

The other day I was standing in line waiting to board a flight and started a conversation with the man next to me. We talked a bit about where we were headed, where we live, why we were travelling, a little about our families and, finally, what we do for a living. He told me he's had the same job for 23 years. He then said something I haven't heard before: "I'm content."

A moment later his group was called to board, and I didn't get a chance to follow up on what he meant by that statement. That is, until I found my seat and saw we were sitting next to each other. As I was settling in, I turned to him and asked, "Did I hear you correctly about being content?"

He replied, "Yeah, you did. I'm really happy with my life. I like my job, my home, and my future."

Soon the flight attendant started her announcements, and the din of two jet engines curtailed further investigation. As the plane moved along the tarmac, he had given me something to ponder: how content am I?

For the most part, I'm content. However, there are days when a little dissatisfaction breaks through. This frustration usually stems from some decision -- or decisions -- I made in the past that have caught up to me now.

But then I sit back and think about it again, trying hard not to beat myself up every time I took the wrong fork in the road. When I remember that previous decisions were usually made with the best information available at the time -- and that I wasn't intentionally trying to make things difficult for me later on -- I can easily reflect on my life and be thankful that it is a really good one.

There really isn't much I would change.

So the next time I'm standing in line waiting for a flight and someone starts a conversation, I just might tell them something they haven't heard in a while: "I am content with my life."

How about you?