Instead, the happiest people make the best of everything they have.
The key to being happy is striking the right balance between the desire to acquire more and achieving a state of contentedness with what you already hold in your possession.
Some people can't help themselves. They want a brand new car every year or two. They want the latest iPhone as soon as it comes out, even if their version still works perfectly.
I'm the polar opposite: I use things until they're almost falling apart. I held on to my last car for 10 years, and it still pained me to part with it. The only thing that prompted me to sell it was the fact it was mysteriously hydroplaning in rainy weather. Other than that, I would have been happy to keep it.
Sure, once in a while I might treat myself to a new shirt or pair of shoes, but I refrain from buying the most expensive brands. Just a few months ago, I bought a pair of $32 Puma shoes that wound up being more comfortable than I ever imagined. I'm glad I didn't opt instead for $200 Nike shoes that a woman at the Foot Locker store I was in tried to foist on me.
I have no problem with people who buy expensive stuff. After all, they work hard for their money, so if it's what they want, they should be able to purchase whatever they desire.
It's those who want to "upgrade" everything they own after a year or two who really get under my skin. That's just frittering away money.
And why do they do it?
They're under the misguided assumption that doing so will make them happier. They want to beat their peers to the checkout lines and have the latest and greatest stuff before they do. They're overcome by an interminable compulsion to show off.
And it's these very people who end up miserable. They don't realize until later that material things can't fill any void you feel in your life. In fact, the quest to acquire more and more leaves you emptier than before.
One of the surest ways to feel happier is to be grateful for what you already have. It doesn't mean you should cease finding ways to better yourself, but you simply recognize that it's not the end of the world if you don't get that shiny new watch. You have one that works just fine.
When you consider that so many less fortunate people around the world would do anything to be in your position, it changes your whole perspective. We may have less than some, but we have so much more than others -- not just in terms of possessions, but our health, loving friends and family, and other blessings we may take for granted.
Let's never lose sight of one thing: We can't take our material stuff with us when we die. It's not about wanting what you don't or can't have, but wanting what you do have.
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