Contentment = Happiness

 

I am a very happy individual and I believe that is due to the strong feeling of contentment that I enjoy on a regular basis.  A few years ago I talked about how gratitude leads to contentment and as someone who is grateful every day for all of the things that I have and my experiences, even the less than stellar ones, I truly do believe this.  When we feel content because we are grateful it only leads in one direction - Happiness.

 

As I have settled into retirement life I do find that because I need less and less than I used to and want far less than I used to in my earlier years that I am much more content and happy with what I already have.  I no longer feel that desire to acquire more or do more.  I no longer have that need to work myself silly with hours of productivity.  I still enjoy productivity and prefer it to idleness, but I don’t need to be super productive anymore.  I am just as content now with smaller projects and shorter amounts of daily productivity.

 

I think I appreciate the simple things much more too.  Just going outdoors and pulling the weeds, emptying the trash or washing my car can really make my day.  I really do enjoy homemaking, I always have.  I love preparing my own meals or spending an hour or two of my time meal prepping.  I still love to go grocery shopping.  Even vacuuming my own floors and cleaning the bathroom makes me feel good.  I think the reason is because long ago I learned to replace the words “I have to” with “I get to” and just doing that one thing made a huge difference in my attitude.

 

Practicing simple gratitude is an amazing way to live life.  It leads us on the path of contentment and then you realize how happy you are in your daily life.  NO Bad Days.  When we are happy we feel better, we look better, we are healthier and our lives are better.  I am grateful to be able to continue my retirement journey along this path.  I like being happy.