Hot Chocolate

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If you've been reading my blog, you may have noticed that hot chocolate has been playing a prominent role in my search for contentment and happiness! So I was quite tantilized with a beautiful email from my friend over at The Spices of Life about that very subject. Oh - I'm dreaming of a steaming cup of it right now!

Anyway, "The Wisdom in Hot Chocolate" essay in that email has a lot to say about contentment, and since it is listed as "Author Unknown," I thought I'd take the liberty of sharing it with you right here on my blog:

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired.

During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.
Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups — porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He then told them all to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they each had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said:"Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.

"While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
"The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.
"What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup... but you consciously went for the BEST cups.
"And then you began eyeing each other's cups.
"Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups.They are just tools to hold and contain life.

"The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate."

The happiest people don't need the best of everything.They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

And enjoy your hot chocolate!!

Thursday 13 - Contentment

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Esmé’s Mommy here.

I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. Philippians 4:12-13

I’m back. Sort of. I still will probably stress over blogging from time to time, but I have cleared out Google Reader, and we’ll see how we do this time around . . .

So, join me for some hot chocolate and warm banana chocolate cake while I share thirteen things I have learned about contentment during my break.

1. Sometimes I feel annoyed with content people. They could accomplish so much more with a little discontent in their lives, you know?
2. Hot chocolate, while giving a feeling of contentment during the drinking, has a whole lot of calories. Especially combined with banana chocolate cake. Rooibos tea – not so much.
3. Watching a baby wake up in the morning is a great source of contentment. As is cuddling the baby and nuzzling my nose into her fluffy, out-of-control wispy hair.
4. Exercising does NOT give me a feeling of contentment. I’m not into pain and torture. Being done with exercising – that’s the ticket!
5. Driving is an expensive path to contentment, given gas prices these days. Speeding tickets and flat tires add to the cost. But when I’m in stressful situations, a nice long drive with music helps me put things in perspective. For many years my commute to work was at least ½ hour, and driving was my time to unwind. I actually miss the commute.
6. Did you catch music in that last number? Yep, music plays a big role in my attitude towards life. I need to get me an ipod or something with big headphones.
7. Having a clean kitchen and something baking in the oven at the same time is heavenly.
8. As is being organized. My to-do list might be a mile long, but if I feel like everything is on there, I can relax. Here’s to spending 15 minutes a day doing nothing but organizing my to-do list, instead of “just doing it now” and ending up sidetracked to Timbuktu while life is going on and my to-do list is getting hopelessly outdated.
9. Hot showers are great for contentment. “Hot” being the operative word. While in the steam, I can forget about all else except that hot feeling.
10. I love chatting endlessly over some philosophical point, with both parties engaged in the subject but not personally so.
11. There is nothing wrong with burying yourself in the bed covers and hiding from the world for a little while. Try it. You’ll discover the world goes on just fine without you – surprise surprise.
12. It is much easier to write love letters and connect with friends and relish others’ blog posts when you’re not scrambling to come up with the next blog post idea.
13. Waiting on the Lord – that’s the way to get there. When you are in desperate need of time in abundance, the best thing to do is stop and enjoy the moment. It sure is hard sometimes, but it is worth the wait.

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

And here’s Miss Esmé, perfectly content on rubber ducky wings, minus the eagle feathers.

In Search of Contentment

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Esmé's Mommy here.

I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. Philippians 4:12-13

I was in the middle of writing a Thursday 13 post on things that make me feel content when I realized that blogging is not one of them.

There are always more posts to write, always better ways to write them. There are always more comments to check out and emails to respond to - down to 303 right now after a week of feverishly trying to catch up on a month's worth of them. There are always more posts in my Google Reader - 483 at the moment. There are awards to pass on and memes to play. There are links to check out and stories to follow up on. And there are meandering blogging trails to follow.

A blogger's work is never done.

I don't stress out over how much I have in the way of material possessions. I think I can relate to Paul's observation above in that regard. But I'm not always so content with how much time I have. I want MORE time. I want to accomplish MORE. Just look at last Thursday's post and you'll see what I mean.

So I'm taking a quick break. I'm going to focus on the things that make me content. And maybe find a way to be content with my blogging status, regardless of how "behind" I am.

I'll be back. Soon, I hope. Because blogging does give me a feeling of fulfillment. And I love catching up on all your lives and spending time wandering through the bloggy world.

In the meantime, I'm off to drink my hot chocolate/chikree/soy milk mix, read a good book, read some blogs without stressing over "catching up," and spend time with this cute little face and her Daddy.