I have been hopping about, reading all the blogs listed on the Woman to Woman Mr Linky thingy, and what interesting women I have met! Some I know already, and some are going to become new friends. Young, and not so young. Age and the associated thoughts are still echoing in my head, and there are so many things I could say. No doubt they will spout out now and then like a geyser over the coming weeks.
One thing Linda talked about was contentment, and that struck such a chord in me. A timely reminder. Contentment. And what that simple word actually means. Maybe it is something that comes when we realise that we do not have to compete in a "race" any more. Who on earth are we racing? Why? Maybe it is not associated with age, but rather a state of being or mind. Contentment. Serenity. Grace. Do we always have to have more? Why? Do we see it as failure, if we don't have the biggest and best? Why is contentment a word we hear or use so seldom?
Contentment is not settling for something less. It is just being happy with what we have right now. Happy with the people we are with, and the lives we are living. We don't need to strive for the unattainable all the time. We certainly don't need more things. We can always do with more people, but they are not possessions. So how do you measure success? I think the ultimate success is contentment. With it comes balance. The wisdom to realise that what is right there now is just perfect. What price has to be paid for things like promotion at work if it means less time with your family? Do we need bigger and better cars / homes/ holidays, if it means working longer and harder and missing out on "smelling the roses" or enjoying time with our families?
All those great plans for slowing down one day, when the next level is achieved etc etc are useless, you know. Things happen. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. So maybe we could all do with a family audit. What do we have that is priceless right now? What matters most in the world to me? We only have today. That is the only certainty. Contentment starts when we list all the things we are thankful for. Try it, and I can guarantee you will sit there and say WOW..... just look how blessed I am.
It is one minute after midnight. It would have been Geoff's birthday today.
12 comments:
Okay..this post wasn't here a second ago was it???? I came back to leave a P.S. about my birthday and I saw this post on contentment ;)...so before I forget...mine is in August. A friend and I were just talking about the definition of contentment and how it can be misunderstood to mean "settling for what is" rather than "enjoying what is". I enjoyed this!
Hi Linds,
Thinking of you. I know anniversaries of special days can sometimes be difficult. Hope your wonderful memorries bring you comfort and joy today!!
((hugs))
What a beautiful post. It is so true that you have said. We are running a race, but for what? Just to measure up with our neighbors?
Thank you for the reminder that contentment should be our goal.
I guess that is why I love to post Thankful Thursdays :)
Blessings to you and yours...
I'm spending today writing a seminar on contentment, which will ultimately become part of the book I'm working on... strange coincidences.
I'd love for you to cast an eye over it.
Hi Dave... I have emailed you. Of course!
I actually went through a period of time when I thought things would settle down once my daughters were grown and out on their own. Then the first granchild arrived. Wrong! I'm not pretty sure things will never, ever settle down.
Strangely, I feel content with that. :-)
By the way, re your question about the Woman to Woman button and why it messed up your sidebar. It's just too big. It's very easy to resize it. You can do that with your photo program or you can open a free account with a photo host like PhotoBucket.com and resize it there.
You have said it perfectly Linds (thank you for mentioning me). I was just thinking the other day about the ones who are ultra-rich. Does there come a time in their lives when they realize all that their wealth has brought them simply isn't enough? I wonder.
I know you must miss him very much, and these special times (like birthdays) must be difficult. I pray the Lord will surround you with His love and peace.
Linds, I enjoyed your comments on contentment very much. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11 "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content".
I'm adding you to my blogroll. I hope that's okey. I just love having you as a new friend.
What great thoughts, and so very true! I remember when I was young and teaching school in a place I really disliked, I discovered Paul's words about "being content in whatever state I am." I took that very literally, because I was really unhappy in the physical state (which I won't mention, for fear I offend someone from that state) in which I was living. I know he meant much more than that, as in "state of being" but it helped me through that difficult time of my life.
I trust you made it through Geoff's birth-day okay. I need to go back and read your whole story one day. Maybe things will slow down someday - ha!
I loved your comments on my In This Skin post. Yes, the sandwich generation definitely is a tough place to be at times.
Let's keep in touch! I'd love to visit you in England, and need to get over there to see my brother and SIL. Are you far, far away from Manchester?
Thanks for your kind comment. Your lovely post on contentment is timely. Hope you got through Geoff's birthday all right. It must have been hard.
Linds, this post was so rich! You always amaze me with the heartfelt insights you have. I whole-heartedly believe in the need to be content and I try to live by that. There are so many wonderful parts of life to enjoy. Many times I remind myself that all I have is today and I want it to count for something.
I really liked reading this today! I'm contemplating some changes in life and I'm pretty sure they are right but this helps confirm them. Hoping you had lots of wonderful memories to savour today, along with the tears.
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