Contentment is natural wealth

C is for Contentment

Are you content?  

Not if the advertisers have been doing their jobs right you're not.  There is no profit in contentment.  Content people don't want.  And want is the driving force behind the north american economy.  How many people do you know who actually need whiter teeth or fewer wrinkles?  Do we need a new hairstyle, designer shoes or a Hollywood diet?  Or do we want these things because we've been convinced there's something wrong with us the way we are right now?  Yes, I know shoes do wear out, hair needs to be cut and a healthy weight increases life expectancy.  But I'm not talking about the actual product or service we're buying.  I'm talking about the feelings of want behind the purchases.  Do we really feel younger with our grey hidden with dye?  Or have we been convinced by a youth-obsessed culture that we want to look younger?  It's sad really.  We spend so much time, effort and money on wanting that we fail to see we're okay just the way we are.  

The next time somebody tries to sell you "want", don't buy it.  Dare to be content.

Go back Jack do it again

.....wheels turning round and round

you go back Jack and do it again       

                                                                                                    Lyrics by Steely Dan

This weeks GBE2 prompt is "do over".  My do-over list is some of the things I  really enjoyed the first time round that I'd like to do again, exactly the same way. 

In no particular order:

• all my travel experiences including :  Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Banff, DC, Boston, NYC, Florida, Cuba, Italy, France and England
• my wedding day
• my kids' first day of school
• the day I met my husband
• my first Reiki attunement
• my parent's 25th wedding anniversary
• my first motorcycle ride
• having my writing accepted for publication
• learning to ski

What about you?  What would you like to do again without making any changes to the original experience?

Pass the Buck(et)

I'm not against lists - they're handy at the grocery store and I rely on them when Christmas shopping - but a bucket list just isn't my style.  The idea of a list of things to do before I die makes me feel inadequate somehow, like I've missed important chunks of my life that I need to jot down so I don't forget them again.   No, a bucket list is not for me.

What's wrong with being content anyway?  Content to walk barefoot in the grass in summer.  Content to feel the sun on your face in winter.  Content to go to for a walk in the woods.  To work hard.  To fall into a soft bed at the end of the day. 

I don't need a list to remind me to hug my family, pet my cat, or share a meal with friends.   No, a bucket list is not for me.

He who is contented is rich.

Lao Tzu