Age of Contentment

Walking down a local street of shops and restaurants, I spied a little basket of discount Ts. It was one of those serendipitous moments of just-my-size and extreme-cheapness that leads to thoughts of the item having been placed there just for me. Perhaps even wondering if there is a message from the universe in it. As an Eastern philosophy fan, I’m endlessly finding myself drawn to items with a Chinese symbol and accompanying English translation. This time the T-shirt also included some additional text. It read “Contentment” under the Chinese symbol plus it said:

“to hold onto and to let go of everything all at once”

I not only fell in love with it but decided it represented my turning 40 theme. It’s that sense of balance and acceptance I’m looking for as I progress into another stage of my life. There is so much I need to let go of and so much to appreciate. Let me rest in that contentment even just for a day or for a moment in the day.

You may have noticed my Joe’s Goals badge showed me crashing for a few days and then recovering and getting back on track (yeah!). Also, the other day at my third appointment, my chiropractor expressed some astonishment at how well I have responded to her treatment. After weekly appointments, I’m going back in 4 weeks to see how I’m doing. I was not so surprised because of all the work I’ve been doing – walking, yoga, pilates, qi gong. I’ve become a big believer in the synergy of using multiple approaches. Most importantly, I’m enjoying having my back feel so much better. It certainly makes contentment easier to attain!