The Secret Of Contentment

Let us learn to enjoy every minute of our lives; be happy now and don't wait for something outside of ourselves to make us happy. Think how really precious is the time we have to spend, whether it's at work , with your family or relaxing in a beautiful and peaceful place, we should enjoy and savor every minute.

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. -Buddha

When we allow our mind to become quiet, to become utterly tranquil in the quiet depths of our being, there is a stillness that contains a deep inner peace and wisdom that can guide us in our lives.

Every now and then, we need to go away, have a little relaxation; when we come back to our usual routine, our judgment will be better. Without this respite, our sound judgment will be affected. Go some distance away, usual concern and anxiety will appear smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance, and a lack of harmony or proportion is more readily seen in better prospective.

When you are discontented, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, 'Oh yes - I already have everything that I really need.'-Dalai Lama

One of the best lessons I've learned to live with contentment, peace and happiness is: there are things or situations that we can’t change but we can certainly change our attitude towards them. St. Paul puts it beautifully in Philippians 4:11–13: “I have learned the secret of being contented in any and every situation. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

In any and every situation in which God gives us things to do, He also gives us the help we need to do them. Relying on that strength is the difference between contentment and despair. The secret of contentment is to accept God’s will. Here are some thoughts about being contented inspired by the writings of L.B. Cowman.

A story is told of a king who went to his garden one morning, only to find everything withered and dying. He asked the oak tree that stood near the gate what the trouble was. The oak said it was tired of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine tree. The pine was troubled because it could never bear grapes like the grapevine.

The grapevine was determined to throw its life away because it could not stand erect and produce fruit as large as peaches. The geranium was fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac.

And so it went throughout the garden. Yet coming to a violet, the king found its face as bright and happy as ever and said, “Well, violet, I’m glad to find one brave little flower in the midst of this discouragement. You don’t seem to be the least disheartened.” The violet responded, “No, I’m not. I know I’m small, yet I thought if you wanted an oak or a pine or a peach tree or even a lilac, you would have planted one. Since I knew you wanted a violet, I’m determined to be the best little violet I can be.”

Others may do a greater work,
But you have your part to do;
And no one in all God’s family
Can do it as well as you.

When we live without reservation according to God's will, we learn to be contented in whatever the circumstances. His will becomes our will, and we desire to do whatever He desires us to do. We strip ourselves of everything, and in our nakedness we find everything restored a hundredfold.

By Tim Pedrosa

Whatever we are waiting for peace of mind: contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance, it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.-
Sarah Ban Breathnach

Tim