This past week I was reintroduced to the word contentment. A word that I haven’t heard in a while. It’s been overshadowed by other great emotion descriptive words such as happiness, joyful, peaceful. But contentment is right up there, if not above all of those words. An oracle card reader on Facebook live selected me (out of hundreds) to do a one-card reading from her new deck (those of you that know me know that I love oracle cards). She chose the card ‘contentment’. She went on to say that I should feel contentment in my life especially with my accomplishments. Her words made me stop and think. ‘Am I content’? What’s the difference between Happiness and Contentment”? I think I’m a happy person. Maybe I should be more content instead?

Contentment is when we are happy with what we have, who we are and where we are. It’s appreciating all the things that we currently have. It doesn’t mean we don’t have goals or want something. Being content is not worrying about those other things and focusing on the present.

Contentment has a longer, lingering effect because we’re not consumed about what it is we want next. We’re not worried about missing out. Although we have a ‘to do list’ and wants and desires, we’re not relying on completing tasks or attaining those things to make us happy. Many of us have used the phrase “If I do that then I will be happy…’ Or If I get that then I will be happy. But sometimes when we get or do those things the effect of that happiness is short term. It’s not always about the next best thing. It’s about being grateful for what you currently have.

Finally, if you want to feel the essence of contentment then bring gratitude into your daily practice. Be grateful for what you have, even if you're going through tough times. It will help you get through them quicker. Trust me, I know. We need to be grateful for what we have right now because it may not be there tomorrow. Life is short and everything is impermanent.

So let contentment be your new favorite word and your favorite way of experiencing life. Allow this contentment to fill every part of you.