“The buddhists speak of developing an abiding calm. A centeredness that is unshakeable. Like a tall tree so rooted in the Earth that great winds cannot topple it. This for me is the image of contentment. It means not riding the waves of the ups and downs of life. It means that we not only agree to what is in the moment, we welcome it. It means that in all the noise and demands of modernity, we stay in the abiding calm center. This is the mastery of life that contentment invites us into. The practice of gratitude and “non-seeking” can help us stay rooted in this jewel.”

From Deborah Adele’s book The Yamas and the Niyamas