The Endless Treadmill
You finally get that 626 item level piece you’ve been chasing. You feel… good for about three minutes. Then immediately:
- “But the heroic version has better stats…”
- “I still need the trinket from the vault…”
- “Next week mythic opens and this will be obsolete…”
Sound familiar?
The ancient Chinese wisdom teaches: 知足常乐 (zhī zú cháng lè) — “Contentment brings lasting joy.”
Or as one Zen master put it: “Happiness doesn’t come from getting what we want. It comes from wanting what we have.”
The Illusion of “If Only”
The Mental Trap
- “If only I had tier set, I’d be happy with my character”
- “If only I got CE, I’d feel accomplished”
- “If only I had that mount, my collection would be complete”
- “If only I hit 3000 rating, I’d feel good about my skill”
Here’s what actually happens when you get these things:
- Brief satisfaction (dopamine hit)
- Immediate comparison to the next goal
- Return to baseline dissatisfaction
- Start chasing again
This isn’t gaming wisdom — it’s the hedonic treadmill, documented by psychologists and observed by Buddhist monks for 2,500 years.
My Own Journey: From Chase to Contentment
I spent an entire season grinding mythic+ for one specific weapon. Finally got it. Equipped it. And within an hour, I was on Wowhead researching the next upgrade.
I realized I wasn’t actually playing WoW anymore. I was playing a game called “What Am I Missing?”
The shift came when I asked myself: “What if my current gear is enough? What if I already have what I need to enjoy this game?”
The Practice of Enough
Morning Gratitude (Before Logging In)
Instead of opening WoW with your mental checklist of what you don’t have, try this:
Think of three things you appreciate about your character:
- “I love my transmog”
- “My guild is genuinely fun to play with”
- “I can comfortably do +15 keys and that’s actually impressive”
This isn’t toxic positivity — it’s training your mind to notice sufficiency.
The “If Only” Redirect
Throughout your gaming session, catch yourself thinking “if only…” and redirect:
Instead of: “If only I had better gear, I’d enjoy PvP” Try: “I have gear that lets me participate in PvP right now. What am I enjoying about this match?”
Instead of: “If only I had all the mounts, I’d be satisfied” Try: “I have 347 mounts I can ride today. Which one brings me joy?”
The 24-Hour Rule for Subscriptions and Purchases
Before buying:
- That 6-month subscription during a low motivation period
- That $25 shop mount when you’re feeling down
- That WoW token because you’re frustrated with gold farming
Pause 24 hours. Ask yourself: “Am I trying to buy contentment? Will this actually make me happier, or am I just uncomfortable with wanting?”
Real-Life Applications in Azeroth
At Work (In-Game Activities)
Sarah’s Story: She compared her casual raiding to her friend’s Cutting Edge achievements and felt inadequate. She was raiding Heroic but felt like she was “failing” because she wasn’t doing Mythic.
The Shift: She recognized that Heroic raiding is an accomplishment. She started appreciating her raid team’s jokes, the mechanics she learned, the bosses she defeated. Her enjoyment of the game increased dramatically — her gear didn’t change, but her perspective did.
In Relationships (Community)
Marcus’s Story: He constantly compared his guild to “better” guilds with faster clear times, creating resentment.
The Shift: He started focusing on what his guild did offer — patient leadership, flexibility for life obligations, people who genuinely cared about each other. His guild became a source of joy instead of inadequacy.
Personal Growth (Skill Development)
My Own Story: I felt terrible about my DPS because I wasn’t orange parsing.
The Shift: I started tracking my personal improvement week over week instead of comparing to top players. Each percentage point improvement became genuinely exciting. I was still the same player, but I stopped creating suffering through comparison.
The Paradox of Contentment
Here’s what confused me initially: Doesn’t contentment mean giving up on improvement?
No. Contentment means:
- With contentment: “I’m genuinely happy with my 2400 rating AND I’m working toward 2700 because I enjoy the challenge”
- Without contentment: “My 2400 means nothing because I’m not 2700 yet”
With contentment: “My current tier set is enough to do the content I enjoy AND I’ll naturally replace pieces as I play” Without contentment: “I’m miserable until I have perfect stats on every slot”
Contentment creates internal abundance. Its absence creates internal poverty — regardless of your external achievements.
Weekly Practices
Day 1-3: Notice the Wanting
Simply observe how many times you think:
- “I need…”
- “If only…”
- “Everyone else has…”
Don’t judge yourself. Just notice. Awareness is the first step.
Day 4-5: Appreciate What You Have
Each gaming session, actively notice three things you already possess that enhance your experience:
- Your favorite ability animation
- A guildie who makes you laugh
- Content you can successfully complete
Day 6-7: Experiment with Enough
Pick one area:
- Don’t check item level upgrades for a week
- Don’t run content you hate just for rewards
- Don’t compare your progress to others
Notice: Does your enjoyment decrease? Or does it actually increase?
The Freedom of Sufficiency
Traditional thinking: “I’ll be happy when I have everything I want” Problem: The wanting never ends
Contentment practice: “What if I already have enough to be happy?” Result: You discover you actually do
Evening Reflection
After gaming, journal:
- What did I genuinely enjoy today?
- What was I chasing that didn’t actually matter?
- What three small things brought me joy?
A Different Way to Play
Imagine logging into WoW and feeling:
- Genuinely appreciative of your character’s current capabilities
- Excited about improvement without desperation
- Satisfied with your progress while still having goals
- Free from comparison that steals your joy
This isn’t fantasy. This is what contentment practice creates.
The Test
Next time you get an upgrade, notice:
- The joy when you receive it
- How quickly you start thinking about the next one
- Whether you ever actually feel “done”
Then try this experiment: For one week, play as if your current gear, rating, and achievements are enough.
You can still do content. You can still improve. But you’re not suffering from not having more.
See what changes.
Conclusion: The Wealth You Already Possess
There’s a Chinese saying: “Having ten thousand things is not as good as having peace of mind. Material things bring temporary happiness, but simplicity brings lasting tranquility.”
In WoW terms: Having every mythic achievement, every mount, every title won’t bring lasting satisfaction if you haven’t cultivated contentment.
But if you do cultivate contentment? You’ll discover you’ve been wealthy all along.
You have:
- A character you can play right now
- Content you can access today
- A community you can engage with
- Challenges you can attempt
That’s not settling. That’s wisdom.
“Contentment creates internal abundance; its absence creates internal poverty—regardless of external circumstances.”
The rarest loot in Azeroth isn’t a mount or a title.
It’s the ability to log in and think: “I have enough. And that feels good.”