Nurturing contentment in the little things

One of the most valuable truisms I find is, “Whatever you think about most, grows.”

I’ve certainly been in many negative funks of mind, resonating from a hardness of heart, sometimes only seeing what’s wrong with the world and people and situations.

The only trouble with that thinking—even if or when it’s right—is it leads nowhere but to negativity.  It helps nobody and only frustrates and hinders progress.  It serves nobody, least of all the self.

The thing I loved most about AA was its focus on spiritual progress.

Striving for perfection is a sure-fire way to despair.  It’s the direct route to overwhelm.

Spiritual progress on the other hand is about appreciating, taking time for, the small things.

Spiritual progress is attainable, one day, one moment at a time.  It’s granting ourselves permission to let things go.

For instance, you can redeem an hour of joy from simply a one-second glimpse of incredible creation.  Things of beauty surround us, not least the beauty in having loved ones around us.  We realise this when they’re gone.

When we’re noticing the good things of life, that goodness enters our heart, nourishes our mind, cleanses our soul, and that joy wells up as a spring of gratitude.

The more we think on making a little spiritual progress each day, the more gratitude grows and the more joy we experience.  It’s all an inside job.  We must nurture it within.

Have you noticed that negativity often enters from our external world?  When we’re not looking within.  From our discontent and outrage at what’s wrong with the world.

There are so many things wrong with our world.  Yet there are just as many and perhaps tenfold or even one-hundredfold more good things.

Focusing on the negative things takes us in the direction of inner destruction.  Somehow, we must devote significant time to the good things, so goodness is nurtured in our heart.  Our hope depends on it.

This is where forgiveness is important.  Now forgiveness is a very personal concept, so I’ll keep this in the first person.  Recently, having struggled for years to forgive a hurt or two, I was granted the freedom of sticking it.  Nothing short of a miracle.

Now there’s freedom where there wasn’t beforehand; what I’d ever prayed for.  Things that ‘mattered’ beforehand seem to matter less.  I believe everyone who wants to forgive will eventually arrive there if they don’t give up.

I’ve found there’s no merit and no progress in being defiantly unforgiving.  It’s good to have experienced bitterness to see its toxic influence personally and interpersonally.

It doesn’t matter how ‘right’ we are, a continual focus on injustice hardens the heart.

Now that certain business is done, suddenly the smaller things come into view.

The small things matter.  The small things ARE the big things.

Very truly, true happiness is in wanting nothing at all.  It’s the peace of simply practicing contentedness. There are a thousand things and more to enjoy.

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash