How I learned to want less and be Happy with What I have
What is the most recent time you have caught yourself thinking, “I just need this and it will make my life so much better”? Million Dollar Income. More Money. Better Car. Larger House. A more prominent job title. Nicer clothes made from Italy. More expensive watch. Everybody wants more. As a matter of fact, it’s a fact of human nature. It is hard to ignore the fact that most of us don’t seem to be willing to let ourselves stagnate even if we aren’t perfectionists who constantly strive to push themselves to the next level. It is a universal desire that we all have to keep moving forward as far as we can.
We all know that living with a relentless thirst for more in our lives can be downright draining, but let’s face it-doing it year after year can leave us feeling empty, depressed, and downright defeated. As a result, it is important to learn that in order to truly be content on a daily basis, you need to go against the advice and be content with just a little bit less.
I’m not advocating that you move into a shelter with no belongings, keep only one pair of shoes, and live an extreme minimalist lifestyle (if that’s how you roll, good for you). Instead of being so obsessed with where you’re going, it’s important to find happiness right where you are.
Obviously, you need the basic things like food, shelter, etc., but science has shown that money, after a certain level of income doesn’t make us any happier than what we were before. Regardless of the fact that your household’s income is below this threshold, the chances are that purchasing a new sweater or another set of dinnerware isn’t going to bring you a lot of joy in the long run. In fact, paying for things you don’t really need will only leave you worse off financially and lead to more stress in the long run.
The comparison trap is one that you must avoid at all costs
The truth of the matter is that I am guilty of chasing something on a regular basis not because I truly want it in the first place, but because I feel like it is something I should possess if other people at least have it.
We live in a world where comparison has become all too easy. Just like everyone else, I’m going to chalk that up to social media. I am going to have my perception of being a successful professional transformed in a matter of seconds when I log on to Facebook and see that my friend has purchased a brand new boat, along with a plane to go with it as well.
Can you see how simple it is to fall into that trap when you are not paying attention? Since I find myself comparing myself to other people more often than I would ever care to admit, there’s no of preaching to you about this one.
Keep in mind that someone else’s success isn’t your failure as each of you has a different life. You don’t need to have or want everything the other person already has. Keep your eyes and mind focused on your own path, and allow yourself to forget everything else around you. In the end, it does not make much difference how everyone else is doing or how successful they are when it comes to your own happiness and success.
The first step to wanting less of what you have and being content with what you do have is to identify where these urges come from and to try and suppress them.
There are several common threads in most cases, such as the reasons why someone is insecure, the struggle with comparisons, and the deeply held beliefs about success, but in the end, it is your task to better understand who you are and what you want from life.
The best way to achieve this is by paying attention to your instincts and acting on them as soon as you get them.
As long as your reasons for seeking improvement are valid, there is nothing wrong with seeking improvement – as long as you do so for valid reasons. Maybe you are chasing more money, since your family is continuously struggling to make ends meet. For those who have big families, moving into a bigger house is a valid reason to do so. If your current employment is causing you an absolute lot of misery, you may be looking for a better one. You should actually take advantage of those desires to be better to motivate yourself!
If the only reason you have for your longings is to satisfy your greed that you don’t even know where it came from, you have some more thinking to do.Identify what exactly is feeding your desire to accumulate more, and take it a step further.
Have you ever had solid reasons why you can’t feel content and settled withyour current situation? I’m glad you found some inspiration to keep going.What if you’re just trying to impress others or hypnotized by TV commercials to buy into things? Your priorities need to change and you need to focus on being content with what you have.
Be thankful every day and end your day with gratitude
It is human nature to want more. There’s nothing wrong with that, to some extent. However, if you always think about what you don’t have, you’re setting yourself up to be stressed and unhappy.
Happiness comes from learning to accept what you have right now. There is no doubt that it is possible. The truth is, you can actually have more with ‘less’.
Gratitude is important.
Feeling grateful regularly is a great way to feel happy with what you have. It’s easiest to do by writing a gratitude list every day.
Whenever you feel like buying something new, try feeling gratitude for things you already have. Write down reasons you’re grateful for your current shoes if you want to buy a new pair.
It’s also good to practice gratitude for things you don’t have. Think about the true cost of any new purchase-time, money, space and energy! Write them down!
Say “I’m glad I didn’t buy “A” because I would have had to give up “B”
You’ll feel better about your decision not to buy if you reframe it positively. Rather than “giving up” on something new, you’re choosing more of what matters.
Take a moment to remember what’s important
To feel happy with what you have and not want more, remind yourself what matters most.
What’s your top priority? Is there anything you’re passionate about? Is there anything you want to achieve?
Taking these questions into account next time you want “more” can change your perspective. You might find that a new luxurious watch or even big house aren’t as important as you think they are.
You should do more of what matters, not just think about it. Don’t forget to appreciate the little things in life, like a good music, scent of flower, or good exercise.
Learn to want less
In a sense, learning to want less is similar to learning a new skill. It is important to note that learning to want less is a skill in itself. In order to succeed in your endeavours, you will have to learn how to resist instant gratification and this is goingto be hard at first. The majority of us are very accustomed to getting what we want, when we want it, whenever we want it.
When you think about it, prior to the onset of the internet boom, if you wanted to buy something new, you had to get out of bed, drive across town, find a store, find the item you wanted, and then wait in line until the cashier was ready to take your order.
In other words, it meant that there was a considerable amount of time and physical distance between you and the item you desired. When you gave yourself this space, you could recognize your urge and think it through.
Nowadays, if you want something new, you can buy it right away on your phone. It’s impossible to think things through. You can easily spend hundreds of dollars without even realizing it.
The key to resisting this tendency is to practice and repeat. The next time you’re shopping, resist buying something like shoes.
The first few times will probably be hard, but keep going and you’ll develop your resistance.