So today I'm off to a women's retreat, and tomorrow I'm giving a presentation at the retreat on the topic of contentment. "Explore the secret of contentment." I love women's retreats and all the good estrogenic energy I get from them!
For years I've thought about contentment and happiness. My blogs and ezines explore the topic, too. Knowing the topic could fill volumes, I worked hard to find a way to boil the ideas down to a few easy-to-remember tips.
In a nutshell, here's the bare bones of what my 45- to 50-minute presentation will say. To experience contentment and happiness in our lives, remember three "Be's."
Be authentic. That is, be who you were created to be—not what you think others expect you to be. That means you should know yourself, appreciate yourself, love yourself, forgive yourself—and live the life you have rather than worrying about the one you thought you'd have.
Be grateful. See life as a gift and do some things to open yourself to the gratitude—things such as taking time to grieve losses, both large and small; letting go of negative thoughts, outdated beliefs and old baggage; forgiving others; and celebrating successes, both large and small.
Be aware. Notice things inside and around you. Pay attention to what you allow inside you (through books, TV, friends, ads and more). Notice your emotions, particularly fear (the pay-attention emotion). Each night reflect on what went right in your day or what was life-giving in your day; that helps you be more awake and aware the next day and the next. Make conscious choices about how you respond to others and to your experiences.
What are your ideas on contentment?
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