I’ve recently been mentioning my G+ friends at Wisdom and Life frequently. I spend all of my social media time on that one platform and as a result I’ve curated many followers there. I’d like to consider the people I tag from G+ friends. Google+ is where those who are content developers should be for a variety of reasons. You can read my Social Category to discover why I feel this way.
Today blogger, G+er, and my friend, Yvonne Wilson gets the nod. On Wednesday, August 14, Yvonne wrote a column at her blog called: 3 Steps That Lead to Contentment. The column starts out with:
“What will make you happy?” That’s the question a young pastor began his sermon with recently. He gave us a few moments to think and I began typing away on my iPad a short list of things that would do the trick; a steady income, benefits, a book deal, a life God would be pleased with…But the pastor didn’t wait for the congregation to finish our thoughts. “If you have an answer to that question,” he interrupted, “you will never be happy.”
It’s like I’ve blogged myself many times over. Yvonne’s pastor is spot on. You shouldn’t have to answer that question. We shouldn’t be looking for happiness.
If we look,
If we search,
Then we aren’t happy now. So what is the answer?
How do you find contentment and peace?
The only way I know of is to stay in the present moment.
Eckhart Tolle popularized this sentiment with his book The Power of Now. Tolle’s thesis is what I’m saying here with this column:
What happens when we look ahead?
When we attempt to forecast?
That’s when we panic. Because we DON’T know what will come next. We have to learn to “Let Go and Let God.” Only God knows our future. God has our entire lives mapped out. Everything will be ok in the end. It’s when we forget this and think ahead that we falter, that we become anxious.
Stop looking ahead.
Stop Forecasting.
Stay in the present moment. You know the saying:
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift, that’s why it is called the Present.
We have to remember this. Continue opening the present. It’s the only way I know to find contentment, to find peace.
Yvonne mentions three steps:
–Manage Your Expectations.
–Give Generously.
–Practice the Art of Gratitude.
All three of these are spot on as well. When we manage our expectations we don’t hope for something to come to pass.
By hoping, we are giving our control over to another set of circumstances.
By hoping, we expect someone or something else to fulfill our desire when the only person who can fulfill what we want is us.
I’m not telling everyone to give up hope. Just don’t misguide your hope. Choose carefully.
When we give generously, the act of giving will return to us exponentially. Have ever noticed when you do someone a kindness, whether it’s giving a smile to someone. letting someone ahead of you in line or paying for someone’s lunch or even coffee, at some point that day or even later that week, someone will do something reciprocal for you? Giving generously is one sure way of receiving abundance. Giving generously also brings a sense of joy which can lead to effective contentment.
And of course, anyone who has been following Wisdom and Life for any length of time knows how I feel about gratitude. I’ve written a column on Being Grateful. And the topic runs through the entirety of Wisdom and Life. I may not discuss it specifically, but the theme is always running below the surface. Being grateful is so important to peace and contentment.
Stay in the present moment and peace will find you.
If you can find EVEN one thing in your life to be grateful for, peace will find its way in. Follow Yvonne’s three steps and you’ll discover contentment is directly in front of you.
Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!
Blessings to you.
—
Chris
