Are you growing Bitter or Better? - Douye Ikhumi

Are you growing Bitter or Better?

I spent time with an eighty-one year old woman. It was really a sheer delight to spend time with her because I had a pocket full of questions to ask. I began with asking her how she spent the average day. She then went on about ensuring she achieved one thing daily and then would spend time working on the charity that she was a part of and then would read a good book. She said some other things but I was no longer listening with rapt attention as I was waiting for her to at least complain a tit bit about how bored her days were and how the old days were better and so on. Well since she did not indulge me with any of that I went straight to the point and asked her what she did for entertainment or pleasure. She simply went on about how the most mundane things were pleasurable to her and that sitting down to read a good book was simply fantastic by her standards. I creased my brow a bit I guess, because she then proceeded to say that I was too worried about her. She was so sincere in her details that I felt a pang of guilt.

We spoke on for a couple of hours and then I went off home. I kept on thinking about how simple her life was and how she could have spent all the time complaining about a thousand and one things and yet just choose to point out all of the lovely and simple things she could do to make herself joyful all day long. She was truly content. I then asked myself how many years it would take to become that content and happy with the weather, my home, job, food, and all the other things that my life consists of. Well, I certainly was grateful to God for spending time with her because she sure did teach me a profound lesson about being happy.

Now, what makes you happy? Does it have to be expensive, a bit complicated and out of this world first before it will fit your criteria or can we simplify life and just enjoy the things we have and what God gives us for free? Well, I am surely going to try my best to enjoy life and grow better and not bitter.