The Path to Contentment

Young people can learn a lot from their elders.  I always knew this and remember sitting quietly at my grandmother's house and just listening to the elders talk.  Much was about their past experiences and memories which sounded foreign to my ears...but I knew there was wisdom to be found there.  And so I listened.

The lifestyle of our young ones is also foreign to us...we can't identify with any of it because this world is not the one of our own youth.  They're dealing with a reality we were fortunate to have escaped.

I don't think there's a single thing our young ones can teach us oldsters but there is a magnitude of things we could teach them that would benefit their lives.  We can teach them how to be content.  We can teach them what matters in the end.  We can help them choose the right path.

I've always counseled my children and grandchildren that a good education will benefit them all of their lives.  It may not lead to anything more than knowledge but it's that knowledge that they can build on.

Anyone who reads my blog already knows that strong and loving family ties are what keeps us straight when the outside world wants to drag us under.  They are the rock we can always count on.

But there are more ephemeral lessons we can teach our young.  Just take a moment to forget about what you want and concentrate on what you have.  Be grateful for your blessings no matter how insignificant they may seem.  Because, from thankfulness comes contentment.  The luxury items that money can buy are so darned unimportant that it's almost comical to think we ever pursue them.

If we spent all of our efforts surrounding ourselves with good family and friends, we'd find that anything beyond that couldn't matter in the long run.  If we spent more time appreciating the natural beauty around us, we'd recognize true value.  

You don't have to chase after "good" people.  They fall into your life every so often and, when they do, appreciate them because they are a gift.  You just have to open your eyes to the miracle of nature all around you to feel an appreciation for the moments you've been granted on this beautiful planet.

Maybe we become wiser as we age because we see how we're not going to live forever so we have to make the best of the time allotted to us.  When we're on our death bed will we regret leaving our money behind or will we regret leaving our loved ones?  A simple fact.  And most of us just don't learn it until we're older and wiser.

So take the time to listen to the old because they've accumulated a lot of regrets and enlightenment over the years.  They've learned what matters in the end.