Imagine you are in a magnificent garden, filled with blooming flowers of all kinds, basking in the soft light of the sun. Now, you have a choice. You can either focus on the beauty surrounding you, inhale the fragrance, listen to the melodious songs of the birds, or you can fixate on the weeds and the patch of dry land in the corner. This garden is a metaphor for life.
Life gives us the opportunity to choose our perspective, to select what we wish to focus on. You can choose to be content with what you have, rejoice in the beauty that is, or you can forever chase after an elusive, perfect garden. When we shift our perspective and truly believe that there is nothing lacking, we discover that we own the entire garden; in fact, the whole world belongs to us.
Contentment is not about denying ambition or settling for less. Rather, it’s like appreciating the melody of a song while still being excited about the upcoming verses. It’s about fully acknowledging and cherishing the now, and knowing that your current state is abundant and fulfilling in its own right.
Just like the way we’d rejoice in the garden’s existing beauty, rejoicing in the way things are in life is about embracing the present moment. It’s about expressing gratitude for what is, irrespective of the challenges or the adversities we face. This gratitude is our shield and sword against the turbulent storms of life.
When we invite this sense of contentment into our lives and appreciate the now, we no longer find ourselves endlessly chasing an ever-moving horizon. The scales fall from our eyes and we see that, indeed, there is nothing lacking. We realize that our life, like the garden, is complete and thriving in its unique way.
Consider for a moment, the nature of the sun. It doesn’t compare itself to the moon, nor does the rose compare itself to the tulip. They simply exist, content in their own nature. Just like the sun and the rose, we too must cease the act of comparison, and instead cherish our own unique journey. When we do this, we free ourselves from the chains of discontentment and open our hearts to the infinite beauty of our own lives.
When you come to the understanding that you lack nothing, you experience a profound sense of freedom. The world, with its infinite possibilities, becomes your playground. You become a participant in the dance of life, rather than a spectator, constantly seeking to extract joy. You become a bearer of happiness, radiating it out into the world.
The wisdom of being content and rejoicing in the present moment, is like finding a compass in the wilderness of life. It guides us towards the realization that happiness is not a destination to reach but rather, a path to walk upon. As we cultivate this understanding, we realize the profound truth that the world in its entirety belongs to us, not because we seek to possess it, but because we have learned to dance with it in joy and contentment.
