Contentment

Contentment

Contentment is:

A state of mind, a personification of the soul.

You can't achieve contentment unless you are firstly comfortable within your own skin. The Pocket Oxford Dictionary states it is "satisfaction with one's lot, tranquil happiness." This can only be realised when everything in your life is balanced.

This means that your self, including the many aspects that make up your self, are in harmony; equilibrium with everything else around you. Not only do we need to be happy with our physical self, but our emotional, intellectual and spiritual well being; all of which need to be in balance. We drift along the emotional line, it is natural. What we need to ensure is, that we don't slide and fall off one end or the other.

Some may say they find contentment in exercising daily, others in art and craft or scrapbooking, photography, reading or writing. This is more pleasure and leisure rather than contentment, as they are just one aspect of a whole range of things that need to be addressed in order to be at ease with yourself and your life.

Contentment is:

Friends

You will find, almost every friend that we choose, have traits that help balance our well being and therefore our contentment. Reflect on this. Think about your friends and decide what it is about that friend you like and why?

A lot of the time you may find they have traits you may not necessarily have at the time, but you need or would like at that point in your life, and that is why you seek them out and befriend them. Later, and I am sure we have all experienced this; we lose touch with that friend when we have fulfilled or developed that particular need in ourselves.

If you are successful, then contentment will come much sooner for some. The cycle then begins again. We seek out new friends for a different or further need. There may be some along the way that grow with you and stay in contact over an extended period of time.

It is not using our friends; we simply need them around at certain times in our lives in order for us to grow as people and this works in reverse. They seek out us for the traits they may see in us to fulfil certain needs in them.

People are a paradox, but eventually we find our niche and move along comfortably and most of us can become content with our family, our work, our friends, and most importantly, ourselves.

The same can be said about the animals we seek out and keep as pets or have a particular love for. They all represent something we need in our lives to balance the need to be content. 'Tis why we grieve as much for our animals as we do our family and friends. Having an animal around fulfills something in our psyche that we need at the time, be it healing, fulfillment, or just plain love.

Animals, people and our state of mind affects us all.