Contentment

        "Contentment, to some people, appears to be something to be attained in the twilight years, yet this is not so, nor should it be. Contentment is not even a word that one hears used in everyday conversation. We hear the word peaceful or relaxed, but seldom does the word content appear. What is the reason this is so? Is it because it is non-existent to most people or is it because most people do not give it any thought? Some people have such a daily stressful type of living that there appears to be no room for the expression or experience of content. It is almost as if experiencing contentment implies that one is overly satisfied or not pushing hard enough. There are so many goals and restrictions and strains that are unnecessarily added to each day's experience.

        To be content is a small gift to one's self. Perhaps it is even a big gift. To have contentment, one must have a sense of accomplishment at some level or a sense of just the pleasure of the day or night experiences. It is rare for someone to be content to just be. There is nothing wrong with it. It is a pleasurable experience to be able to enjoy just being, but it takes a few moments of awareness and a definite sense of the individual self. It is not always necessary to be gaining, or improving, or reaching for some goal. Sometimes it is a few moments of time that is set aside to actually forget the reaching of goals, or the accomplishment of tasks. There does not have to be a reason, as strange as that may be to some, but to be able to separate one's self from the happenings in life, to shift to an inward awareness, to allow contentment to express itself. Too often there is such a rush to live life that opportunity is missed. To watch a beautiful moment in nature can be a moment of contentment. To watch love being expressed whether from an adult or a child, or from animals can give moments of contentment. Notice cats. They, more than other animals, seem to know how to enjoy contentment. They know how to savor a moment.

        Contentment can be encouraged with small things that happen in life, again the beauty expressed in so many, many ways in the way of the earth can bring contentment. Finding that special gift, or expressing creativity in art or music, in all of the ways that creativity is constantly showing itself only needs a few moments of experiencing the pleasure and contentment that it can bring. Being with someone who brings you pleasure is a gift of contentment. It is the joining of the two in some way of communication, whether physical, mental, or emotional that can bring forth this feeling so akin to peace. The point we would like to make is that you do not have to do something. It does not require an action beforehand. It is sometimes moments that are there to be absorbed, but are missed. Try to bring a bit of contentment in your life by finding opportunities to cause it to grow."