Do you ever visit a friend or relative and end up with house envy?  When you get home, do you notice all the things about YOUR house that you do not like?

I have to admit that has happened to me in the past.

Then I realized how dumb it is to feel this envy.

There are a couple of different choices in life: you can choose to love what you have, or you can choose to love what other people have.  Which choice results in the most happiness?

There will always be people in the world that have it better than you. On the other hand, there will always be people that have it worse than you.  If you feel you must compare your situation, why not look to those that struggle more than you do?  Counting your blessings and maybe reaching out to help those that are less fortunate is way more productive than being angry about what you feel you don’t have (and possibly feel like you should).  You could strive for more and more, and chances are, you are still going to encounter people that live in greater luxury in the future.

So, my ultimate advice is this: when it comes to making any major purchase, think about what you really need.  Also consider the future too, especially if you are buying a home or a car and you plan on expanding your family.  Make the best decision you can, and move on.  Don’t get frustrated when a friend gets a great deal on a huge home because your home is considered modest.  Who cares?  Make your home your own by decorating it to your tastes and enjoy Life there.  You can be happy for your friend, but really, do you need another two thousand square feet in addition to what you already have?   Always striving can be like chasing a moving target.  When you think you have finally ‘arrived’, you may just come across what you feel is the next best thing.  Next thing you know, you are focused on that next item, and you never took the time to appreciate what you already had.

Do you ever feel like life is a constant race to the next thing down the line?  Or, have you found contentment?