I have all that I NEED and MORE!

I have read a few blog posts recently about WANTING. We all want different things, whether it be a new car, a bigger house, another child or more money and there is nothing wrong with having these wants. In fact it is perfectly normal. The only time when wanting what we can't have becomes dangerous is if we get ourselves into debt to service our wants or we become that envious of others that we can't see all the great things going on in our own lives.

Jesse on the bike he got for Xmas, out the front of our house.

There are a lot of things that I want right now. I want a 4WD, a bigger house, an education, more children, a job, more money and the chance to travel. But I'm not about to get myself into debt so that I can have these things straight away. These are goals and goals take time. And the beauty of having goals is experiencing the journey it takes to reach them and then feeling that sense of accomplishment when you do achieve them. I know that getting a university education takes time but it will all be worth it in the end because I will come away with a degree and a chance to secure a job and earn more money. Then with that new found stability I can save up for the dream car, the bigger house, more children and also reward myself with a holiday or two along the way.

Dave, Tiffany (my sister), my mum and me.

There are also times when I feel envious of what others have. I see people who I went to school with in fantastic jobs earning lots of money, buying their dream homes, travelling all over the world, and getting married and having children. But just because they seem to "have it all" doesn't necessarily mean they're happy. What if the highly paid executive secretly wishes she had a child? What if the person living in their dream home is struggling to make the repayments and with it feeling a lot of stress? What if the person travelling the world feels lonely and wishes they had someone to share the experience with? And what if the young married woman with children really desires to further her education but feels she doesn't have the time to? Unless we are that other person then we don't know what they are feeling. Just because we see what they have and want it, doesn't necessarily mean it is what they wanted or what they are happy with. We need to look at our own lives and be grateful for what we already have. When I become conscious of this I realise there are many things that I have to be grateful for. I have a very loving and understanding partner who supports me all the way, a beautiful well-behaved child who always knows how to put a smile on my face, a roof over my head, food in my fridge, clothes on my back, a wonderful little car, a best friend who goes out of her way to cheer me up, and a family that pulls together when the going gets tough. So what if I want more things... I have all that I NEED and MORE!

My little man with my beautiful Nanna. I love them both dearly.

However as with all things in life... don't forget the balance. If you're always depriving yourself of things you want because you don't feel you have the money or the time, then make a plan to achieve some of your wants sooner. There is no point always saving up for that holiday and then never taking it. Or scrimping and saving and then never rewarding yourself for all your hard work. This will only make you unhappy. It is OK to reward yourself every now and again. Take that holiday. Buy that dress you've been eyeing off.  Just make sure you have planned for it and can afford it - then there is no guilt when the time comes to do it. You can just enjoy it!!

On holidays. The view of Melbourne from the top of the MCG.