IT’S YOUR CHOICE

You can’t control what happens to you—but you can always choose contentment. Here’s how to start today.

Have you ever been in a tough situation and felt really good? If you shared your lousy set of circumstances with others, they might have remarked on what they saw as an inappropriate attitude. Is it really inappropriate, though? Why not choose to be upbeat when times are tough?

Life can be hard. Sometimes your life is going along splendidly, and then you are dealt the worst possible cards out of nowhere. You have to deal with some setbacks or losses. What happened was out of your control. You couldn’t stop it and certainly didn’t see it coming.

What do you do now? How are you going to get past this devastating experience?

You can let that difficulty wreck your emotions. People sometimes have such a hard time overcoming a traumatic event that it cripples them for the rest of their lives. Instead, you can choose that you are going to recover. At first, this may seem impossible. However, when you consciously choose to move past one of life’s great difficulties, that’s the first step to eventual recovery.

Contentment is the same way. It’s all about choice.

You may have a tough set of circumstances. There may not be the possibility of your circumstances changing for a very long time. In this situation, why not choose to be happy and think good thoughts? If you know the details of your situation may not change for the better any time soon, why not choose happiness over sadness?

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Our Busy, Fast-Paced World

The modern world is always begging for more. You can give everything you’ve got, and it will expect you to produce more effort. It constantly tells you that you’re not good enough and you must consistently strive to be better than you currently are.

The distractions you get daily simply moving through your daily routine are constant. So many things going on around you are out of your control. This leads to experiences you didn’t ask for.

When these negative situations enter your life, you must deal with them. Ignoring them might make them worse, and ignorance never solves any problem. While you can’t control much of what happens to you, there is one thing you can control.

Think about your daily life. What are the top three external pressures or distractions that affect your sense of peace?

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You Always Have a Choice

Happiness is short-term. You smile or laugh at something, and then just as quickly as it appears that short-term dose of joy is gone. Contentment lasts long-term. It’s about accepting who you are, all you have right now, and your place in the world. You are enough right now. Don’t believe the constant barrage of messages saying you need to buy more, be more, and experience more.

Happiness is great. You should have a lot of happy moments in your life. Contentment is what you should strive for because it’s long-lasting. Accept yourself for who you are, giving you a better appreciation of yourself and the world. You choose positive feelings and emotions rather than despair and stress when things don’t go your way.

Life is going to catch you off-guard. That’s a truth you need to wrap your mind around. When it does, choose hope and happiness, and contentment. You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can always control how you decide to feel about it.

Reflection Exercises

Understanding Happiness vs. Contentment

What is the difference between happiness and contentment in your own words?

Think of a recent moment when you felt happy. How long did that feeling last?

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Choosing Your Response

Describe a challenging situation you’re currently facing or have faced recently.

How did you initially react to this situation?

Looking back, how could you choose to respond differently to create more contentment?

Your Contentment Action Plan

Recognizing What You Can’t Control

List three things in your life that are currently outside your control:

☐  ____________________________________________________________________________

☐  ____________________________________________________________________________

☐  ____________________________________________________________________________

Choosing Your Response

For each item above, write how you can choose to respond with contentment instead of stress:

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Affirming Your Enough-ness

The modern world constantly tells you that you’re not enough. But the truth is different. Complete this affirmation by filling in what makes you enough right now:

I am enough because:

Daily Contentment Practice

Remember: You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can always control how you decide to feel about it.

Use this tracker to practice choosing contentment each day for the next week. When something challenging happens, pause and consciously choose your response.

Day	What challenged me & how I chose to respond
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7

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Weekly Reflection

After practicing for a week, what have you learned about choosing contentment?

What will you continue doing to maintain contentment in your daily life?

Life is unpredictable—but your response doesn’t have to be.
This simple contentment guide helps you:

✔ Let go of what you can’t control
✔ Choose peace during tough moments
✔ Build daily habits for lasting calm

Because contentment isn’t luck — it’s a skill you can practice.

https://fabulous-innovator-745.kit.com/0f49032fb2

But Gertie Garza, You’re a Girl! 

Written by Melanie Mathis

Illustrated by Karissa Miller Laffey

Gertie is a young lady who refuses to be told that being a girl limits her choices.

This book is written in catchy rhymes. The vocabulary is fun and challenging. The author includes alliteration and analogies.

When peers warn Gertie that her choices are limited because of her sex, she pushes back. Why can’t she be a lion tamer if she works hard to succeed? That message is reinforced by her grandmother, who lives in the home with Gertie. Grandma has lived an exciting life full of adventures, such as hiking and hot air balloon rides. She encourages Gertie to aspire to her dreams.

This book inspires young girls to place no boundaries on possibilities. Parents and teachers should put this one on home and school bookshelves.

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115 World Biographies: Famous Figures Who Shaped Human History

Written by Lic. Patricia Montana Duran

Illustrated by Renee Rojas Navarro

An enormous amount of research went into the writing of this series. There is a remarkable amount of detail in each biography. While each selection is short, the reader learns a lot of information that may become the basis of a detailed research project.

In Volume One, the author begins in ancient Egypt and then proceeds to research historical figures in medieval times. Examples include Nefertiti, Charlemagne, Genghis Khan, and Niccolo Machiavelli. The writing style is pleasant, combining facts in a easy to digest reading format. This facilitates appeal to a wide range of ages, from middle-grade students to curious adults.

As a fellow historian and retired educator, I would not hesitate recommending this book to any reader seeking a peek into dynamic figures of history.

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Every child is different—and so is the way they respond to discipline. How you parent impacts how your child learns boundaries, responsibility, and emotional control. Here’s a simple guide to how parenting styles shape discipline and how you can adjust to better support your child.

4 Parenting Styles and Their Discipline Approaches

Authoritative (Balanced and supportive)
o Sets clear rules and explains them.
o Focuses on guiding, not punishing.
o Try this: Help your child make a plan after a mistake instead of just punishing them.

Authoritarian (Strict and controlling)
o Enforces rules without discussion.
o Often uses punishment.
o Watch for: Anxiety or rebellion in sensitive kids.

Permissive (Lenient and avoidant)
o Rarely sets rules or follows through.
o May avoid conflict.
o Risk: Kids lack structure and may push limits.

Uninvolved (Detached or inconsistent)
o Few rules or expectations.
o Minimal supervision or guidance.
o Consequence: Kids may feel insecure or unsupported

How to Adjust Based on Your Child’s Needs

• For Anxious Kids: Use calm tones, predictable routines, and gentle corrections.
• For Strong-Willed Kids: Offer choices within limits and enforce consistent boundaries.
• For Independent Teens: Let them help set rules and learn through natural consequences.

5 Smart Discipline Tips for Any Style

✅ Watch how your child reacts—adjust when needed.
✅ Stay connected and respectful.
✅ Set clear limits, but allow flexibility.
✅ Model calm, respectful behavior.
✅ Evolve your approach as your child grows.

Final Thought

Discipline isn’t just about control—it’s about teaching. The best approach grows with your child, helping them become confident and capable.

Great Kids in History

Written by Michael Williams

Great Kids in History is a collection of twenty two short stories on the contributions of kids to history. Some of these names will be familiar to adults and many children. For example, there are stories about Thomas Edison, Andrew Jackson and Robert Fulton. But then you probably have never heard of Grace Bedell or Philo Farnsworth. This compilation is a nonfiction book that is not intended to be comprehensive or scholarly. It is written in simple language appropriate for independent reading in middle grades. The information presented is not exhaustive; it may give children a sense of pride in the achievements made by these young people in many fields such as politics, sports, inventions, science, the military and technology. I think that any boy or girl will find at least a few of these stories inspiring. Teachers will be able to select one or more as a springboard for discussion and research on many topics. My guess is that any adult who shares this book with a child will learn a thing or two as well!

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