In many ways, something like contentment, to reflect on it could very easily include why we're not content. So it moves over a little bit into a Dukkha reflection as to why we're not content - the opposite. If you are very clear about something's opposites, then it makes more clarity about what you're actually looking at.
You could reflect on who do you know who's fairly content? How do they live their life? How do they act? How do they speak? We take a role model. How do so many people grow in this world, in the sense of anything like a sport, like music, like whatever? They take a role model. When I was a swimmer I had a role model. There was a guy who was a super Olympic champ. He was my role model.
As to human conditions, one of my role models was actually one of my swimming coaches. He was quiet spoken; he seemed strong; he seemed kind to everybody, he was my favorite swimming coach. So he was my human being role model. As to my swimming, I had someone else as my role model.
So as to contentment. Do you have a role model? Can you reflect on this role model? Can you remind yourself what the role model exhibits as their actions and speech, and then try to model it, try to copy it within yourself.
Using role models is very helpful in the practice. What do we have over here in the corner? A Buddha statue. This is our role model. It's a hunk of metal, right? Realistically speaking, perceptions and all of that, it's just a bunch of metal. It's got color, some of it's a bit dull, not so shiny any more. It's a hunk of metal. Melt it down and you get a little cube, you can make something else with it. But what does this actually mean to us, this hunk of metal? It's a memory. It's a memory of a man who walked the planet a long time ago, so they say, who perfected the ability to be content; perfected the ability to have Compassionate/Lovingkindness for every single living being on the planet; perfected his patience, perfected his morality, perfected the whole works! This is our role model.
But he's long dead, we don't have him as a living role model, so sometimes we need a living one. Certainly each one of you know somebody who has more contentment that yourselves. Use that as a role model.
On the other side - Who do you know who's really discontent? Really upset all the time. I'm sure you know people who, whatever they have, they complain, complain, complain. No matter what they have, they're going to complain. Think about that life. Think about the Dukkha of that person. For example, 20 years ago, Rosemary and I were having lunch with some relatives and one of the relatives was about Rosemary's age, very well off, is now retired and lives in a million dollar penthouse on a river. Fine, tons of money. What happened for the whole two hours we were having lunch with them? They complained about the taxes, "The government was taking too much money, blah, blah, blah." Non-contentment. Reflect on these people. Reflect on the Dukkha - that they not only create for themselves, but then they spoil a whole afternoon having a meal with relatives and friends.
So reflect on what contentment is, and the examples you have; reflect on examples you have of those who are not content, and then maybe you see more clearly where you want to go, what you want to follow.