Hans:
an "inspired" hotel manager, says that his inner feeling of positive energy is derived from contentment.
But what exactly is contentment? It might mean different things to different people. For me, the best way to illustrate it is to think of a cat purring! It’s like having a steady, buzzing kind of feeling of being in the right place at the right time, of living in the moment or of living in a state of zen.
A zen state is one of those phrases that’s bandied about and very often taken to mean a place of calm acceptance. But it’s so much more than this!
It’s effectively a mind that isn’t occupied by thought or emotion and is therefore open to everything. What a great place to be!
If we feel discontented with our life, it can paralyse us into inaction because we don’t know how to change things; or it can lead us into unwise choices as we search desperately for that elusive inner joy. But most of all, if we feel discontented we focus on all the things that we perceive to be wrong in our lives and that creates a powerful negative energy that impacts not only on us, but on those around us.
On the other hand, contentment fills us with a powerful, positive energy and a desire to grab life with both hands, which is felt by anyone who comes into contact with us. Just like that purring cat, we can feel the positive energy buzzing through our body!
Did you know that a cat’s purr has a healing effect? The frequency of the purr corresponds to the frequency used in vibrational therapies to promote tissue
regeneration. So, if you are able to get your mind and body into that zen-like state of contentment, think of the healing power that you could have!
Finding contentment is easier than you might think, by following a few steps.
First of all, be gentle with yourself. Often, the very act of constantly searching for contentment or happiness is exactly what prevents you from achieving it. Learning to be accepting of yourself and allowing yourself to just be, can be powerful first steps towards inner joy. We are all human, we all make mistakes and have weaknesses so practising self-acceptance and forgiveness is essential.
Use meditation to get more in tune with what is right for you in life. Too often we fall into unwanted thoughts and behaviours simply through habit and through lack of awareness of our true thoughts and feelings. Meditation is an excellent way to enter a deeper level of consciousness, where our true wisdom lies, to determine what will bring us joy and what we wish to cultivate and grow.
And find the joy of now. Use mindfulness to take pleasure in the present moment, and don’t allow worries about the future or overthinking about the past to cloud your view. If you find it difficult to live in the present, it means you are very often putting conditions on your happiness. For
example, if you say that you will be happy when you….. lose weight, find a better job, meet a partner, move house, etc. you are constantly pushing contentment away from yourself.
Contentment is a state of mind, not a place to be reached when you have acquired various things in life. You can choose contentment by changing your responses to life’s events.
And when you choose contentment, you choose a powerful inner energy and joy that is self-perpetuating.