My mom sent me a link to an article on Raptitude about how what we really want is never a “thing”. I learned this the hard way. I spent many years trying to have the best of the best that I could afford…fighting to find a way to pay for it all…staying in a job that no longer served me longer than I should have because I wasn’t sure I could part with that paycheck.
My eye for finer things started at a young age. As a young teen, I had this hard cover book that I cherished. It was all about the Mercedes 560 SL Convertible. Man, I thought this car was to-die for! I spent all kinds of time just looking through that book, dreaming of the day I’d own that car, just knowing I’d be so happy and I’d know I’d achieved success when I could make that happen.
I bought my first Mercedes in2006. It was a silver 2004 ML320 SUV. It did have some cool features but I actually found I missed my Pontiac Bonneville more than I enjoyed this new vehicle. I regretted my decision but equated it to thinking an SUV was not what I wanted after all. After a year, I traded it in on a brand new 2007 C-class. Not their top of the line but a nice care with fun gadgets none-the-less. Guess what? My Bonneville had just as many gadgets, a smoother ride, more comfortable seats and I still missed it. After three years, when my lease was up, I faced a decision of buying it out or turning it in to get a different vehicle. I turned it in and got something else.
You see, I never felt that level of satisfaction or happiness or success because I was driving a Mercedes. Things aren’t what make us happy. I am more in love with life when the birds come to visit my balcony or my daughter wants a hug or my mom tells me how proud she is of me or I paint something I love or I hang out with you on Facebook for a while. I am more in love with life when I know I can make it on my own, when I’m willing to take risks that need to be taken, when I see someone I worked with branching out and sharing herself with the world…that’s when I love life. Not riding around in an expensive car…not owning expensive purses … (most of which I’ve gotten rid of now)…none of that made me happy.
I’m not saying nice things aren’t nice to have or there’s something wrong with it. I’m only saying I want my soul to be fed every day, not by things, but by experiences and people. I want to wake up and be happy to be alive, not because of the car I drive. I want to measure my success on how I feel and who I serve not on the shoes I wear.
“I’m successful because I’m happy!” – Click to Tweet
P.S. I’m heading out to bird banding today – love those birds!
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