Often, the facts of our lives seem good. We have a decent job, a loving family, and plenty of cash in the bank for the things we need. But there's a small part of us that always wants more. The idea starts embryonic—a single thought in our minds. But over time, it grows and grows into something bigger and, often, uglier. Getting a big house with acres of floor space can often require a lot of work, money, and pain. And yet, we convince ourselves that it is something we need. Unless we have a large home that is perfect in every way, we tend to think we've failed. It's time to take a step back and evaluate this urge. Where is it coming from? Why does it seem so important to us? And what makes giving up time and energy for a bigger house worth it?
Dealing With Discontentment
It can be a challenge to feel content when you're stuck in a home that doesn't live up to your expectations. You want something more prominent, and yet that dream seems perpetually out of your reach. Your kitchen is too small, you don't have enough bedrooms, or you're just sick of the neighbours. When you look around you, though, you find that some people are joyful with having relatively little in their lives. If they live in a small property, they don't care. It doesn't seem to bother them. What's their secret? It mostly comes down to expectations. A lot of people who are discontent grow up with the idea that they're special, and that means that they will get everything they want from life. When they don't, they feel terrible because they assume it means that they're not unique at all. Success and being a valuable human being, however, don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. You can be an important person without material success.
Learning to Make Do
Once you change your mindset about your home, you soon realise that it is good enough as it is. You can often polish it up to look much better too. If you have broken appliances, you don't have to spend a fortune swapping them out for new ones. Just find the model number online and then search for related parts. Often, you can just pull a working component from a scrap model and use that in your machine for a fraction of the price. It can take a while to find the good in your home. If your bathroom is too small for your family, then you might find it difficult to accept. But remember, you're comparing your bathroom to modern standards. A century ago, families regularly had seven to ten people in them, all sharing the same washing facilities. If there's a feature in your home that really bugs you, then nothing is stopping you from ripping it out and starting again. You can quickly replace vinyl floors and bright purple tiles with something more attractive.
Most importantly, though, you want to make a habit of focusing on the good, not the bad. Think about what your home gives you instead of what it lacks.
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