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America. The land of the free. The home of the brave. That is what America should be known for. That is something we should all be proud of.
But as I look around at ‘this land I love’, I often times catch myself feeling not so proud. Instead, I look around and simply see this…
America. The land of plenty. The home of the greedy.
And I like to think that I don’t fall into this trap that so many people do. I wish I could admit that as I look around, I see these traits in others…but not myself. Then a friend of mine shared some simple words, and it all hit home for me. She opened my eyes to the trap that I too catch myself falling into. She made me realize that as much as I want to be proud of the person I have become, there is always room for improvement. And frankly, I need some big improvements with this one.
So what exactly did this woman share? I bet you are going to be surprised too. Because being apart of this land I love, we all tend to do the very thing that she has stopped doing.
A few years ago, my friend and her husband decided to make some changes. They decided that all of the “stuff” in their life, all of the unnecessary luxuries of life, all of the junk that really doesn’t mean much, well it really wasn’t bringing them the happiness they expected it to. So they decided to ditch it all. They went against the natural instinct that most of us Americans tend to have. And they moved forward, making careful decisions of what they really wanted in their life, and what they really wanted their life to look like. And as they moved into this unknown path that many of us have never tried, they used one simple yet powerful motto to guide their way.
This motto of…”Less is more.”
Seriously stop and think about that! They decided that less in their life really does feel like more. So are they right? In the land of plenty and the home of the greedy, can we really take a step back from it all and find happiness without all of the “junk”? It had me wondering as I thought of all of the “stuff” in my life. Was it really bringing me the happiness I needed…the happiness I wanted? Is your “stuff” bringing you true joy, or is it just creating temporary happiness that seems to fade just as fast as your card is swiping to complete that purchase.
I challenge you to really take a step back, and think about what your life looks like. It seems we all strive for the classiest vehicles, the nicest homes, the most expensive clothes, those fancy yet uncomfortable designer shoes. Think about all of the nonsense items we tend to grab on impulse as we walk through our favorite store. Or how about that Starbucks order that is beginning to feel like a “must” every chance we get? Do you need to have the finest face lotions to help with aging, and do you need that name brand jewelry so everyone knows you have the best? What about that time when you realize your closet is so full that nothing else could possibly fit, yet you still catch yourself ordering a new outfit for your next important night out? Or how about that easy “Door Dash” button that we all tend to hit instead of making a home cooked meal?
I could go on and on…forever…with all of the ways us Americans seem to overindulge. It really is a never-ending list. And with all of my faults, I can admit that I am probably the worst at wanting plenty and making decisions that would appear greedy. It is so easy to do in this country of abundance. We can even find a way to convince ourselves that we really do “deserve” it. That we “deserve” the best.
But this stuff really doesn’t bring me happiness, and if you look at your life, I would dare to guess that you’d agree. So if we start to focus on “less” instead of “more”, what could that look like in our life? For me, it’s a quiet walk with my dogs on the trail close to our home. It’s the time I find to exercise peacefully in my basement. It’s the days that I can breathe deeply and spend time with my family talking and laughing. That is true happiness…for me.
Now it’s time to think about what your true happiness looks like? And then how will you change your life to get there?
For my friend and her husband, they figured it out! So now it’s time for me to do the same. Because when it comes to the true joys in my life, it will require me to get back to the basics where less really can be more. I want to get away from this idea of plenty, and this desire to be greedy. Instead, I want to focus on and be proud of our freedom and the brave men and women who make it happen. Because that is the real reason for this incredible land that I really do love.
Xoxo
Marsha
*For those of you struggling with something in life or have a topic of interest that you want me to talk about in this blog, email me at BeYourBestSelfBlog@gmail.com. Let’s work together to Be Our Best Selves!
Photo Credit: Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-unrecognizable-patriot-celebrating-memorial-day-showing-american-flag-4386232/