Karen, you’ve written a powerful meditation on how one might live with more contentment. How one might get unstuck from the rat race we sometimes mistake for living. Noting the quiescence of birds at rest and the quietude of a flower blooming. Many blessings for such a kind and hopeful message. 🙏🏽
This made me think of Walt Whitman's beautiful poem Animals. They teach us, don't they? We are meant to learn from them. When we pay attention, we can feel it. The wisdom they have to offer. The contentment they return to again and again, which humans find so elusive. Thank you Karen, for bringing their beauty and wisdom to the forefront for us. We've never needed it more.
I think you are right that contentment or peace is a moment to moment thing, Karen. And it can be practiced. Our culture socializes us to always be doing, striving, wanting more. But the community of nature as you experience it and as your photos show, reminds us that it's healthy and a normal part of life to find times where we rest in ourselves, just as we are, content. Thank you for this wise meditation and for your lovely photos! Blessings and a hug to you.
Thought-provoking piece. Thank you. Contentment can be cultivated. I see it as scattering seeds of contentment across the day...and watching what blossoms. 😉
Just lovely Karen and I applaud your suggestion of "contentment as a radical act" in a society preaching discontentment so we are always searching, striving for the next "fix". Jack Kornfield's book, "A path with a heart" is my latest reading. Each paragraph provides me with deep, profound contentment.
How very interesting, Karen, I have not giving the word a thought, not for a very long time. But if I hold it up to the light, examine it at every angle, I realize that most of my day could fall under the soft pillow of contentment. They might be in the form of moments, within the boundaries of a smile, or the widening of an eye, but nevertheless, there is a full harvest of them to be found.
Small acts of kindness, pure contentment. Observing your first sunflower of the season, pure contentment. When you think about it, every time you see something you want to photograph—a moment of pure contentment. Ultimately those moments can add up to a thousand. Thanks for reminding me to include the word in my daily vocabulary, just another way to remember all the good things in life we choose to pay attention to.
I am finding contentment recently by saying "I receive " from this situation, this upcoming event even and maybe especially when I'm harried or overwhelmed. I find a curious settling in my body and then my perception of almost everything when I say this. And after the experience or event I find I had more fun and was more relaxed than I had been in a long time. My way of moving into presence, Im thinking 🤔. I receive....your words and images, as the gift they are.
I love this! Choosing contentment no matter what is going on around or within you. My challenge these days is to do,that with a whole host of physical discomforts and dysfunctions. Thanks for the reminder.
Karen, you’ve written a powerful meditation on how one might live with more contentment. How one might get unstuck from the rat race we sometimes mistake for living. Noting the quiescence of birds at rest and the quietude of a flower blooming. Many blessings for such a kind and hopeful message. 🙏🏽
This made me think of Walt Whitman's beautiful poem Animals. They teach us, don't they? We are meant to learn from them. When we pay attention, we can feel it. The wisdom they have to offer. The contentment they return to again and again, which humans find so elusive. Thank you Karen, for bringing their beauty and wisdom to the forefront for us. We've never needed it more.
I think you are right that contentment or peace is a moment to moment thing, Karen. And it can be practiced. Our culture socializes us to always be doing, striving, wanting more. But the community of nature as you experience it and as your photos show, reminds us that it's healthy and a normal part of life to find times where we rest in ourselves, just as we are, content. Thank you for this wise meditation and for your lovely photos! Blessings and a hug to you.
I love this question ~ we breathe 🌻
Thought-provoking piece. Thank you. Contentment can be cultivated. I see it as scattering seeds of contentment across the day...and watching what blossoms. 😉
Just lovely Karen and I applaud your suggestion of "contentment as a radical act" in a society preaching discontentment so we are always searching, striving for the next "fix". Jack Kornfield's book, "A path with a heart" is my latest reading. Each paragraph provides me with deep, profound contentment.
This is so lovely. Thank you.
How very interesting, Karen, I have not giving the word a thought, not for a very long time. But if I hold it up to the light, examine it at every angle, I realize that most of my day could fall under the soft pillow of contentment. They might be in the form of moments, within the boundaries of a smile, or the widening of an eye, but nevertheless, there is a full harvest of them to be found.
Small acts of kindness, pure contentment. Observing your first sunflower of the season, pure contentment. When you think about it, every time you see something you want to photograph—a moment of pure contentment. Ultimately those moments can add up to a thousand. Thanks for reminding me to include the word in my daily vocabulary, just another way to remember all the good things in life we choose to pay attention to.
I love that turn to the question at the end..,,
I am finding contentment recently by saying "I receive " from this situation, this upcoming event even and maybe especially when I'm harried or overwhelmed. I find a curious settling in my body and then my perception of almost everything when I say this. And after the experience or event I find I had more fun and was more relaxed than I had been in a long time. My way of moving into presence, Im thinking 🤔. I receive....your words and images, as the gift they are.
Wild beauties show how
to cultivate contentment?
Pause, take a look, swoon!
Exactly😊👏
I love this! Choosing contentment no matter what is going on around or within you. My challenge these days is to do,that with a whole host of physical discomforts and dysfunctions. Thanks for the reminder.