“A harvest of peace is produced from a seed of contentment.”
Proverb

I read recently that Contentment isn’t an excited kind of happy, it’s more like a peaceful ease of mind, a deep-seated sense of accepting who and where you are at any given moment. It’s being satisfied with what you have, whatever that is.

I love this definition. A peaceful ease of mind is what we should all be running towards as fast as our legs can carry us.

Contentment can be cultivated by practicing really simple things that will make such a difference:

Comparing your life to others – the belief that happiness comes if you have that job, car, partner, body, lifestyle etc, means we are constantly waiting on some kind of accomplishment or possession to attain contentment. Comparison makes finding contentment a million times harder.

Someone that seems to ‘have it all’ on the outside is no real gage of contentment. You can own everything in the world but if you lack contentment, you’ll never be happy.

Gratitude is without doubt one of the easiest ways to shift yourself to feel instantly content because you are fully aware of what you actually do have, rather than fixating on what you perceive to be lacking.

The pandemic really highlighted how very little we actually do need to live a contented life.

Letting go of past mistakes. This is so important as dwelling even for a few minutes on past events can instantly permeate and drain away all feelings of contentment. Our minds are so clever at sometimes at reveling in upsetting or disappointing times.

Learning to enjoy simple things that don’t cost money and living in the moment. Being conscious & awake in the present moment, immersing yourself in what you are actually doing, seeing & feeling are ways to instantly feel content. Today I was walking up a street back to my car in a nearby town, the sun was beating down onto the hot tarmac, there was no breeze, the mask I was wearing was just a portal of increased hot air wafting back up my nose, but then two swifts swooped down chasing one another, their shrieks echoing as they flew back up into the clear blue sky, then diving up and down as I walked.

In that moment I forgot about the hot mask & no breeze and I felt an overwhelming sense of being content as I watched these two magical winged creatures putting on a display it would seem just for me.

Being content doesn’t mean you don’t want more or ambition is elusive, doesn’t exist or is off limits. It means you’re grateful, appreciative and accepting for the way things are right now.

“To be content doesn’t mean you don’t desire more, it means you’re thankful for what you have and patient for what’s to come.”

Tony Gaskins

‘…thankful for what you have and patient for what’s to come.’

Utterly brilliant in two lines.

And finally, which goes deep inside for me; knowing without doubt You Are Enough.

In whatever you’re doing & wherever you are in life, YOU ARE ENOUGH. Embrace it, truly believe it & be content with who you are in your enoughness.