Perspective Affects Contentment

Being cooped up for weeks, rarely leaving the house due to COVID19, gave me a chance to fall in love with my little house again.

I made a conscious decision to make the space I was in be something I enjoyed.

I was putting some effort into de-cluttering, organizing and decorating.

Things that I hadn't done for a long time.

It was working.

I was finding joy in what we have and where we are.

Then we visited some friends.

They have a beautiful, two-story, four-bedroom home with an open kitchen and a great covered patio.

As I appreciated their home, I was reminded of what I have always wanted.

A big Kitchen.

Lots of bedrooms.

Curb Appeal.

Etc. and so on.

After the weekend with them, we were back home making a financial plan to reduce bills and realized, once again, how thankful we are for a very affordable mortgage payment.

Then we were making a plan for when we can have some family stay with us, realizing how small our accommodations are and how having multiple guests make the one bathroom inconvenient.

Then today, I spent some time in my yard.

I walked around the flower beds, reminiscing about the day we discovered this house.

The peonies are beginning to bloom.

We have several of these pictured, and in a few weeks will have white ones, followed by some lighter pink bushes that will bloom.

I then passed the snowball bush I planted the first summer we lived here that is now taller than I am.

I took notice of the row of shrubs I planted along our fence, remembering how excited I was to add some privacy, but limited in budget so had to buy the small ones.

Those shrubs are now as tall as the fence.

I passed the rosebush I was given for Mother's Day, the tulips I planted each year, remembering the dreams and plans I excitedly made when we purchased this home.

Each plant, bush, tree and bench reminded me of the day I planted or purchased them.

I remembered how excited I was for what it would grow into or be used for.

Back then I simply saw potential.

I saw our home.

Our future.

I remembered how ecstatic we were to find this little gem.

We were desperate for a house back then.

There weren't many options at that time and we were very limited financially.

This home was a gift.

We were so thankful to have found it.

The point of this long ramble, is that once again, I am convicted about perspective.

The back and forth pull between the desire to be content and the desire to have more, is all a result of perspective.

When I was looking at what I had, I was filled with gratitude.

When I looked at what someone else had that I didn't, I felt a twinge of discontentment.

Isn't this how it always is?

When we are reminded of why we wanted what we currently have, and how happy we were to finally receive it, we are filled with joy and contentment.

As soon as we forget that, we can become distracted by what more we might want or think we "need".

Perspective affects contentment.

What we look at affects our attitude.

What we focus on determines our outlook.

Thankful for this reminder once again, as I seem to need it periodically throughout life.

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