A Mantra For Happy

What does it look like to be truly happy? To live simply. To possess a state of gratitude without want or regret? As I get older, acquire more money and stability, I find it harder to maintain these things. I find myself thinking with the logic and reasoning of my culture. For instance, Seth and I are very happy when we go to the cheap theatre here in town.  But I found myself lusting after the expensive theatre the other day, as we drove past. My brain said, yes it is terribly overpriced. I don’t even want to think about how much the food costs but we need to do things like that for a special occasion.

Of course, like the analytic that I am, I stopped to ponder my thought process.

So much can be learned when you just stop and ask yourself, “why.”

Why do I feel or think or believe this way? Where do these ideals come from? After consciously concluding in my head that something is an over expenditure of money, not worth the cost, why do I then justify it by saying I needed to do it for a special occasion?

Discontentment and entitlement. Once again I find myself battling these things. Happiness can be found in simple things. It is done all of the time. The things that make us happy are not food and entertainment.  I mean, not truly. Food enters the body and then exits. And we literally flush our money down the toilet. Why not spend our money on things that will last, like others.

What needs to change in us to be able to find contentment in smaller things? Have you ever stopped to analyze why you need the things you need to be happy?