Inspiring words from Cheryl Crow?
Posted by: Tammy“It’s not having what you want. It’s wanting what you’ve got…”
Yep, Cheryl Crow inspires me!
I periodically get down on being frugal. I want to spend. I want new. I want better. I want. Period. I WANT. I didn’t say NEED. I said I WANT. Reality is that I don’t really NEED much if anything. We are blessed. A roof over our heads, food on the table, and my hubby in a good job (I don’t want to say secure because nothing seems secure anymore). We’re healthy and have more than so many.
Yet, there are still times when I want: an updated kitchen, install hardwood flooring in the bedrooms, aa newer vehicle for my husband. Then I get a bit down about not having the things I want. Then I hear Cheryl, “It’s not having what you want. It’s wanting what you’ve got…” She motivates me to get refocused! It’s like that glass-half-full thing or the glass is half-empty thing. I can dwell on how we can’t swing all of the things we want right now or focus on enjoying what we DO have right now!
Instead of thinking about what you DON’T have, think about what you DO have. What will make you want what you have more?
Yeah, we want hardwood floors in the bedrooms but in the meantime, I can make the carpeting we have look as good as it can by taking care of it and giving it a good cleaning. I want to update the kitchen but in the meantime, cleaning up our old cabinets and taking care of our current kitchen is more important.
Sometimes it isn’t about really wanting new but needing change. “It’s wanting what you’ve got.” Paint, fabric and my own labor are cheap. I liked our kitchen a lot more after we put up fresh paint and I made a new curtain for the door. That simple change made me want my kitchen more.
I’m always amazed how moving things around can make the old seem new again. A pretty sheet tucked in and around an old couch or chair or a beautiful hand-crocheted afghan casually throw across the cat-shredded arm of an chair can do wonders. Updating an old couch with fresh new fabric on hand-made pillows draws the eyes away from the stain the kids created when they spilled something.
It is being honest with yourself. I don’t go looking at homes that are for sale because I know that I’ll see something that will make me not want my own home as much. We never intended to make this our forever home but it is what it is and we’re blessed to have our home. There is no sense looking at other houses and thinking on how this house isn’t everything we would like. Remember, it’s wanting what you have. There is no sense going out looking at expensive new furniture if you know you can’t swing it right now. It’s easier to appreciate what you have if you aren’t out looking at everything you can’t have.
So, how can you want what you already have?
- Tags: frugal living
January 25th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
I like this article because for me it means I need to remember how I felt when I first saw my house. I had hopes and dreams and couldn’t wait to fill it up with stuff. Now that its filled up I sometimes have the urge to move but I need to remember if we clean, purge, rearrange and be thankful it will be enough and I will be content!