Contentment

What is contentment? The dictionary defines it as "the experience of being satisfied, of not desiring more than you have." As simple as that sounds, contentment can be seem very elusive to most of us. We know that it exists but it feels fleeting and just beyond our reach. And while that may be so for some, I don't believe that contentment is not so elusive. It is within reach, hidden inside our everyday experiences. All we have to do is realize that we have the power and the ability to experience contentment anytime because it resides within each of us. Now...as wonderful as that sounds, it's not so easy to sustain. Our society does not support the notion that contentment is an inside job. If so, Madison Avenue would be out of work faster than you can say " We do Chicken Right!" The mass media is a powerful peddler of discontent. We are pulled by our desires and pushed by our fears. Have you ever noticed how much time we waste wishing for different circumstances? How often have we said to ourselves: Just as soon as I get that job, I'll be happy, or Just as soon as I'm in a relationship I'll be content, or Just as soon as I go on vacation I can relax And it goes on and on...what a painful way to live! Chasing after the promotion, the lover, the money, the "stuff" will not lead to more contentment. The "just as soon as" mentality keeps us in a perpetual state of desire and regret. The reality of our lives is that things don't often go the way we would like them to. When this happens, we have the choice of getting frustrated and pushing reality around to our way of thinking or accept and affirm reality as it is. Now I'm not saying that you should relinquish your power to shape your reality. What I am suggesting is that if your plans don't work out as you had hoped, perhaps there is a larger plan at work and to trust that it will be revealed. Contentment grows and thrives out of a willingness to accept what is. Consider a time when you felt totally content. When everything seemed right and you were satisfied to just BE. Think about how you felt...what was going on at the time? When it passed, did you try and recapture it? Recreate the same circumstances? True contentment lives - not in the past or the future - only in the here & the now. Contentment doesn't require more reasoning and will power...all it needs is our willingness to: Let go of the "just as soon as" mentality - there's no need to put your happiness and contentment on hold. Honor and accept "what is" - life will bring us difficulties but we have a choice as to how we will respond or react. The contentment we seek will elude us when we try to force outcomes to bend to our will. Embrace the "here & now" - the present moment is where contentment lives and where you can truly experience the happiness that is your birthright. Contentment is a state of grace that is available to each of us whenever we call upon it. I encourage you to look within for this simple gift...it is always within reach.