Cultivate Contentment

“Tell me, what are you going to do with
your one wild and precious life?”

“A Summer Day” by Mary Oliver

Perhaps you have noticed, as I have, that there are times in our lives when we fall into routine states of mind or “habit energy.”  Frequently these habit energies are not particularly positive states which serve to keep us bound to old ways of perceiving ourselves and the world.  This month’s theme is a breath of fresh air designed to use the same mechanism that creates habitual responses in us to actually create and maintain POSITIVE habit energy – specifically, contentment.

There are many who make the mistake of thinking that contentment just “is” and that we either have it or not.  There is also an idea floating around that contentment is tied to certain events or conditions; for example, if that person proves that he/she loves me, then I will be content.  This notion is false also.  If these ideas aren’t true, what is the truth about contentment?  The truth is that contentment is a positive habit energy, a way of being in the world, a stance we adopt which is then supported in our experience by the various events, conditions and people that surround us.  Instead of thinking that contentment is dependent upon those events, conditions and people, we believe that contentment is a decision that attracts events, conditions and people.

This distinction is vitally important to our well-being.  When we realize that contentment is a function of our consciousness and perception, we cease longing for or desperately needing outer experiences to bring us that state.  Instead, we take ownership and begin to cultivate a stance or habit of mind that invokes contentment.  And how do we do that?  We do that in the same way we start any habit energy – we consciously adopt contentment and practice it daily until it becomes habitual.  How do we do that you may ask!

• Consciously participate in gratitude and blessing practices daily.

• Tune in to the numerous times during each day when contentment is your experience – after eating a lovely meal, lying down to sleep, small pleasures throughout the day.

• Using the Law of Attraction, visualize and pray as if contentment IS already your daily experience.

• Come here the wonderful speakers all this month speaking about contentment!

Blessings, 

Dr. Andrea