Monday, February 25, 2008

Trying to be content...

I was over at my neighbor's house this afternoon and we were talking about how hard it is to be content. She was saying that three years ago they lived in a crappy apartment, then they moved to a three bedroom condo, then they recently bought the house next store to us... She was saying that they are already talking about how small it is and how they need a bigger place with a bigger backyard. It hit her that they were really lucky to be living in the home they have and that we are programmed to want more and never be satisfied.

Jesse and I have been dealing with similar issues since the dawn of our marriage and we have stumbled on something that helps us feel more satisfied with life. I still want the newest coolest thing that I see in a magazine but I don't feel as entitled to it as I once did. This little tidbit isn't the most brilliant thing that you have ever heard - of this I am sure! (But I am pretty sure that you don't read my blog because of my brilliance!) I am sure that it isn't Oprah worthy either... So here it is - we started selling our stuff. We started doing it so that we could just clear out a corner in our storage shed. We didn't have any grand plans for it beyond maybe making a little extra cash. But we noticed that something was happening inside of us. We were feeling happier about our place in life. We were appreciating the people and the things that came into our lives. We were thinking about other people. We were realizing how wealthy and fortunate we were. This was an all new feeling for both of us. I will not lie and say that we never want something or feel discontent with life. We do. But life is simpler, it is easier to breathe, and we now have a wonderful path through our crap in the shed!

Writing this makes me want to get rid of more of the stuff that we have accumulated! Maybe I can pay for Liam's preschool next year with it!!

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