Contentment

"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is." ~ Anne Frank

Isn’t it amazing that Anne Frank wrote these words not long before her family was turned in to the Secret Police ? I find it extraordinary to read about her optimism and heroic spirit, under the most trying, terrifying and tragic circumstances. It’s hard to fathom hiding in an attic, crammed together with another family, survival based solely on, to quote Tennessee Williams, “The Kindness of Strangers”, and yet to remain filled with a sense of hope and inexplicable joy. Anne Frank’s courage has always been noted, but what fascinates me beyond that valor is the happiness she felt in simply living…her zest for life coming not from outside her circumstances, but from within her loving, peaceful and sanguine heart. She was literally bubbling over with the insights into the human capacity for great promise.

Anne Frank’s words remind me that we have the potential not only for greatness in acts of kindness, love and generosity, but for deep contentment, regardless of our circumstances. I believe it’s much more difficult to remain in this state of bliss than it is to show happiness outwardly. In many ways, it much easier to lend a hand, give a hug or provide a listening ear to a friend who is struggling. These are all active qualities. The passive quality of remaining in gratification, under any duress, is more challenging. Why ? Because it requires a deep sense of balance in our perspective on our lives. Balance is very tricky to achieve. It’s easy to be happy when things our going our way! When we are laughing, singing, dancing and all good fortune seems to just flow in our direction, we can most certainly indentify with overflowing bliss. But, what happens when we lose our jobs, we’re up all night with a sick child, we find out a parent is ill or we’re very worried about our finances ? What happens in our hearts when we watch the news, seeing terrible stories that we are powerless to change ?

St. Paul wrote, “for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want.” That’s a very powerful sentiment, and deeply difficult to achieve. Yet, isn’t this precisely the sentiment Anne Frank was sharing ? We all face challenges daily. Some are astronomical in size, such as learning you have a terrible illness. Others are more mundane, and yet, can feel astronomical when we are overwhelmed by them. Our challenge isn’t always to solve the problems, but to learn how to live through them, with them and regardless of them.

The tall task we face is finding our path through the chaos, not merely for survival, but in order to thrive. Most of us can sustain times of stress. We look ahead and realize these complications will not last forever and, keeping our eye on the objective at the end of the trial, we work towards that goal. But, have we thrived during that time ? Most likely, we’ve squeaked by. The key is to live abundantly while in the midst of turbulence. There are many ways to accomplish this, and none of them are simple, ‘quick fix’ methods. Each path is completely individual, and what works for one person, may not be helpful to another. But, I believe that keeping the words of both Anne Frank and St. Paul in our minds, we can ask ourselves these questions daily:

What happened today that made me smile ?
What happened today that I did well ?
What words did I say that made someone else happy ?

By reflecting on the joy, not the sorrow, and by eliminating the negative questions our minds plague us with, we can look to the good in all things, and in all ways. Often our evening recaps of the day begin with the “bad”. The simple action of reflecting on the good…no matter how trivial it might seem…can bring us to a place of looking for the simple pleasures in our every day living. Merely halting the inner dialogue of ‘what’s wrong’ can be incredibly uplifting.

So, when the dog eats your couch, your children are arguing, you’re worried about how to pay your heating bill or you wonder what you will do for your friend whose marriage is ending, take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Simply exist, at peace, in that very moment. Tackle each challenge as it comes, but know, in your heart of hearts, that all *is* well. Imagine the possibilities of hope when you unlock the inner potential for joy, regardless of your circumstances. And, always have a cup of tea handy.

"I am not made, or unmade, by the circumstances in my life, but by my reactions to them." St. John of the Cross