Peaceful simplicity: My Story of living a life of Contentment

 Here’s the story about how I learned about the wisdom of peaceful simplicity and how to live a life of contentment. 

 You might have had similar experience like mine. There had been a period of time that I was not satisfied with my life. I wish I had more money, I wish I could go travel the world, I wish something exciting could happen every day. I felt like my life had no stimulation and I believed that the more special experience I have the more I will be happy. Without much exciting external stimulation, I felt life was just dull and mundane.

Because I was thinking that way I felt very unhappy. Until one day I read a book that had an important piece of wisdom and helped me to look at happiness from a different perspective. The book teaches me to have the wisdom to enjoy a peaceful life. It says that when we have the wisdom to know how to enjoy peace and simplicity in our lives, we will be able to quiet down our hearts and minds, and feel more content about all the simple things in our lives.

That totally changed my perspective on life. Before I always thought life has to be exciting, full of action and just like party every day. But there is another type of happiness, which is the very opposite of what I was chasing for. That is how to enjoy a life of peace and quiet. When I changed my perspective that my life doesn’t have to be full of action, but I can feel good by learning to enjoy a peaceful life, I instantly felt different about my life. I realized that we don’t have to have a lot going on to feel happy and satisfied. We can just feel content to enjoy all the simple blessings that we have in our lives.

Once you change your perspective and have the wisdom to know that true happiness can come from a peaceful and simple life, your world will become peaceful and beautiful and full of small wonders.

 Later I read another book by famous writer Olive Ann. And she also expressed the same kind of transformations in her life. She wrote:

“I have learned to quit speeding through life, always trying to do too many things too quickly, without taking the time to enjoy each day’s doings. I think I always thought of real living as being high. I don’t mean on drugs – I mean real living was falling in love, or when I got my first job, or when I was able to help somebody, or watch my baby get born, or have a good morning of really good writing. In between the highs I was impatient – you know how it is – life seemed so Daily. Now I love the dailiness. I enjoy washing the dishes. I enjoy cooking, I see my father’s roses out the kitchen window, I like picking beans. I notice everything – bird songs, the clouds, the sound of wind, the glory of sunshine after two weeks of rain. These things I took for granted before.”

What are all the simple pleasures in your life? I can list some and I’m sure you can add more to the list:

1. Berries … mmmm.

2. Walking barefoot in grass.

3. A good novel.

4. Taking a long, relaxing shower.

5. Coffee.

6.Popcorn and an old movie on DVD.

7. Yoga or stretching or meditation.

8. Watching the sunrise.

9. Good wine.

10. A gentle morning run.

11. Snuggling in bed with your partner.

12. Watching the sunset.

13. Hugging your child tightly.

14. Dancing like you’re crazy.

15. Dark chocolate.

17. Root beer float.

18. A long conversation with a good friend.

19. Banana split.

20. Kissing in the rain.

21. Being lazy on a Sunday.

22. Waking to a clean house.

23. An uncluttered room.

24. Singing in the shower, loudly.

25. Pillow fights.

26. Fries and a chocolate milkshake.

27. Dancing in the rain and stomping in puddles. 

Please share with me all the things that make you happy in your life. Thank you. :)