Finding Contentment

Eight years ago I found myself in a hospital bed waiting for a miracle to save my life. I was on the heart-lung transplant waiting list, unsure of how, or even if, my life would continue. I was blessed to have family and friends to support me along the way but it was still a tough situation.

In the years since that time, many people asked me how it felt to have my life "on hold". To them, I wasn't really living, I was just "on hold". I wasn't really living. But they were wrong. During that six months I learned one of the most important lessons of my life, that happiness isn't found in what you do, how much you have, or don't have, or even if you're healthy (in fact I was very, very, sick) happiness comes from being able to find contentment wherever you are. Happiness comes from cultivating appreciation, especially for the little things.

While in hospital for six months, I learned to cultivate an appreciation for time with family, card games, the perfect meal. In other words, I learned to enjoy life's simple pleasures.It wasn't that I didn't still have goals and dreams; I most certainly did. But instead of needing those things in order to be happy, I realized that I could cultivate happiness right where I was, sick in a hospital bed. My happiness was not dependent on a set of conditions. I learned to just BE.

This holiday, strive to avoid getting caught up in ensuring that every details is perfect. Don't get overly stressed that this or that isn't "just right". Instead take the time to savour the moments. Enjoy your time with family and friends. Sing carols, have great conversations, play fun games and take it all in. This, after all, is what life is all about. Next year you won't remember if the stuffing was perfect or the bow didn't match the paper on one of your gifts. What you'll remember is the time you spent with people you care about. You'll remember the little things.

Have a blessed and merry Christmas. Just remember to slow down enough to take it in.