Seeking Contentment

con·tent·ment
Noun \kən-ˈtent-mənt\
: the state of being happy and satisfied : the state of being content

Happiness and contentment. Of course, we all want to experience these things. Right? But sometimes that's a lot easier said than done. Is happiness dependent on what we have, or what we do, how we look, or how we feel? According to the Mayo Clinic, the bulk of what determines happiness is personality and — more importantly — thoughts and behaviors that can be changed. Well, that's encouraging. In other words, we can learn to be happy! No matter what our circumstances.

Many people think that happiness comes from being born rich or beautiful or living a stress-free life, but the reality is that people who have wealth, beauty or less stress are not any happier than those who don't enjoy those blessings.  (One only needs to pick up a Hollywood magazine to see all the turmoil and drama going on in the lives of the rich and beautiful).

Studies show that people who are truly happy seem to intuitively know that their happiness is the sum of their life choices, and their lives are built on the following pillars:
  • Devoting time to God, family and friends
  • Appreciating what they have
  • Maintaining an optimistic outlook
  • Feeling a sense of purpose
  • Living in the moment
I want to devote some time to exploring these concepts.  I want to be able to say, "The grass is green enough right here, right now." If you do, too, then come along with me and we can figure it out together.

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