7 APR 2021_Thought of the Day_CH Kim

Hello, Everyone. This is Chaplain Sung Kim. I am Deputy CMD CH in the 63d Readiness Division. I pray you are well.

Someone says, “Happiness comes after contentment.” Contentment, or the state of being content, is about peaceful satisfaction. It involves appreciating what you have and where you are in life, rather than wishing things were different.

It seems there are very few people who are consistently content with life. It's more common to be up and down mentally and emotionally, depending on what our circumstances are. So I want to ask you: How content are you? Are you consistently enjoying your life?

Don’t wait to be happy. Do not postpone happiness until your situation changes, or you have acquired a certain thing.

If you cannot be happy now you will not be happy then, for happiness is not a matter of what you have, or what situation you are in. It is a matter of who you are and how you respond to life. It is found within, and unless it is on the inside, all the things in the world on the outside will not make a difference.

If you have been saying, "I’ll be happy when...," then you will never be happy, because when that condition is met there will be a dozen more conditions to take its place.

If you cannot learn to be happy now, you will never learn to be happy in spite of how much you have or achieve. If you are not content with less you will never be content with more.

Here are 7 ways to feel more content:

1. Live your values: Being your authentic self is ultimately going to provide you with a greater sense of contentment.
2. Nourish your mind, body, and soul: start taking care of yourself inside and out. Sometimes we stay focused on the future because we imagine ourselves healthier, slimmer, happier, etc., but the only way to get to that state is to take action right now.
3. Play up your strengths: continue developing my current skills and strengths.
4. Embrace your curiosity: Asking questions and learning about new things can give us so many answers, even to questions we never knew we had. Be curious about everything, and you’ll never be bored.
5. Start a mindfulness practice: A mindfulness practice is one of the best ways to cultivate inner peace and reduce stress. Mindfulness is about appreciating where you are without striving to change anything or make something happen.
6. Reverse the negativity bias: To reverse this negativity bias, we need to focus on fully experiencing the positive experiences in our lives. When something good happens to you, try to really savor the moment. Write it down, take a picture or video, tell somebody about it.
7. Keep a gratitude log: Think about your accomplishments, how you handled your day, how your own values came into play, which strengths you’re grateful for, what you are proud of, what you are excited about, and what’s good in your life right now.

Philippians 4: 11 says, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”

What is it that makes people content? It all depends on how you look at life. Contentment comes when you learn that this world can never satisfy you, but that satisfaction can be found in a relationship with your Creator and living for him.

It is that relationship which provides us with meaning and security in this life, and an assurance of eternal life where all our deepest needs will be completely satisfied.

Have a blessed day! Blood and Fire!

Here is the direct email and phone number for anyone requesting support from the 63d RD Chaplain office,

usarmy.usarc.63-rsc.list.chaplain-all-users@mail.mil

650-526-9668