Contentment starts with ourselves

Contentment starts with ourselves

Finding inner contentment is essential for a balanced and joyful life. Contentment. We all seek it. Even if we sometimes believe we can find it in great achievements or special moments, true contentment often lies much closer to home – in the small, quiet moments of our everyday lives.

My faithful companion, Paco, my dog, shows me every day how easy it can be to live a contented life. His way of life inspires me to pause and focus on what is important.

• Accept yourself as you are.
  Paco never spends a moment wondering whether he’s less than perfect on a bad day. He accepts himself as he is, without comparison or self-doubt. This matter-of-factness reminds me that contentment begins with accepting our own strengths and weaknesses.
• Make the most of every day.
  For Paco, every day is a little adventure. Whether it’s a walk, a ray of sunshine or a game – he lives in the moment and shows me how valuable the simple pleasures of life are. Contentment comes when we consciously experience and appreciate the moment, instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
• Be grateful for what you have.
  Paco is happy about every meal, every caress and every “good boy”. His gratitude is so honest, so pure that it is contagious. Through him, I too am learning to focus on what is already there and to appreciate it more. Gratitude is the key to inner contentment.

Mindfulness Techniques for Inner Peace

They say dogs are the only creatures that love us more than they love themselves. Paco shows me this truth every day. But what’s even more impressive is that his love and joy come from such simple, timeless principles.

As I reflect on Paco’s lessons this Sunday, I realize that contentment is not complicated. Since nurturing our inner contentment is truly important, try to train this: accepting yourself, living each day mindfully, and being grateful for what you have.

Let’s be a little more like Paco today 🐾💛