Contentment for A happier, healthier lifestyle

Contentment leads to a happier life, a reduction in disease, and for this three aspects need to be addressed.

1. What the body eats. The toxins going into the body that may be causing health issues, the nutrients that should be eaten to provide energy, growth and healing.
2. How the body moves: The posture and movements of the body that may be causing misalignments, trap toxins and cause organs to malfunction.
3. What the mind thinks: Thinking causes actions or non-actions which then affect lifestyle.

In this article I want to address No 3, What the mind thinks:

During my journey back to health from CFS/ME, I pondered on why I did or didn’t do things. A Counsellor friend said: It isn’t what you aught to do, it isn’t what you should do, it isn’t even what you must do. Contentment is based on what you like to do or what you don’t like to do.

Having been brought up in the 60s and a catholic and attending a convent school – guilt was my mover and shaker. It totally floored me when I was told I could make decisions on what I liked to do. One reason was that I didn’t know what I liked and another was that it seemed so totally selfish.

I decided as I wasn’t sure what I liked or didn’t like, I would base it on Want. What did I want to do and what did I not want to do.

It was enormously freeing and it occurred to me that this is what contentment is and makes for a happier lifestyle.

For contentment in all aspects of life, I asked myself the question: Do I like that? Do I want that?

If something had to be done, but it wasn’t a strength, a like, a want of mine, it occurred to me I could pay someone else to do it.

So many of us are causing stress related illnesses or a depression doing things we don’t actually like or want to do, but driven to do it because of duty, or being seen to do the right thing. Driven by parents’, friends’, colleagues’, neighbours’ attitude to living a life that is theirs but not yours.

Guilt is not a bad thing, it is our conscience guiding us, but the first thought should be based on like. Do I like this? The second is: Am I causing pain or discomfort to anyone doing or not doing this?

You can do what you like as long as you don’t emotionally or physically cause discomfort to anyone including yourself in doing it. This includes the want for things that are impossible for you to achieve. Don’t over stretch your likes and wants to impossible uncomfortable, painful directions. Be kind to others, and don’t forget to be kind to yourself.

Contentment is really very simple and very easy to achieve, do what you like to do, don’t hurt anyone or  yourself by doing it and then you can look at your life and achieve a feeling of contentment.