Considering Contentment -- a Progression throughout the day

 Note to self: Cultivate Contentment.

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We watched the Mandalorian. It was nice :)

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(Yay, without prompting I expressed contentment :) Just made the connection because of seeing the reflection log from earlier.)

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Wow. Part of my daily reading today (from the weekly reading) is Prov 14 9 "From the fruitage of his speech a man is satisfied with good, And the work of his hands will reward him." Ties in well with contentment 

^There is a relationship with contentment and expressions of contentment.We can examine our prayers. Do we express much gratitude?

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I can't honestly say that at every time of my life I'd be moved to put into writing my gratitude for a moment like that.

Granted, it is partly because I don't want to remove myself from the present with preoccupation with archival and record-keeping. (That is when I started not only taking photographs for art, but also for personal memories. The picture tells a thousand words). 

But I am glad that today I felt inclined to quickly list my contentment for that experience, and I think maybe that came so easily without triggering me to obsessive writing all about it (this removing me from the present) right then and there because I have made a point of listing three good gifts, three things I am grateful for, every day.

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 Recently, witnessing nightmarish results of someone's long-term lack of contentment led to me reflecting very seriously upon myself.

I stumble in other ways partly over those same roots: lack of appreciation for what I already have. While I may not be characterized by things like malicious greed (yesterday someone I love said it breaks their heart to see how I'm constantly priotizing other people who would never do the same for me), it still negatively affects others' lives as well as my own.

I can get so obsessed with the next great thing I want to have or do or plan —a selfish one or not— that I lose sight of other important things. And that obsessive pursuit becomes less and less controlled, the more I fail to recognize, truly appreciate, and enjoy what I already have.

That's what led to the cultivate contentment reflection.