If Only I Could Have Chanel Sunglasses

My family went to a 3 year old birthday party this afternoon. I saw a young woman there, who I met some 10 years ago. She was with her husband and her two young boys. She looked amazing. She had on this really cute, stylish sundress, a beautiful red sweater over it, a pretty necklace with matching earrings, nice high heeled shoes and these obviously expensive Chanel sunglasses. She was fit and well put together and looked rich and happy. She was talking about the brand new house that they had just had custom built and her husband was in conversation about the small vineyard they were growing on all their acreage.

I thought to myself, "Darn it! This girl has got it made. It must be nice!! I wish I could have a ton of money, and dress so cute, and have a huge home and wear really expensive sunglasses. Surely, if I had all of that, I would be so happy!" It doesn't take me but a few moments to get all caught up in this stuff. I start feeling insecure, inadequate, jealous and unsatisfied.

Over the course of the next couple of hours, I chatted a bit with this gal and the truth began to unfold. She was constantly bummed out with her husband and his lack of involvement with the kids, they were feeling stressed over the finances, she is angry that she has to continue to work full time to help make the huge mortgage payments and she is overwhelmed at the task of raising two young kids. In a kind of sick and twisted way I was cheering on the inside..."Yes! She's normal!" And honestly, at this point, my life was looking so good.

It is dangerously easy for me to get caught up in that shallow, envious, resentful trap. I know in my heart that material possessions will never make me happy for long. I know that if I allow myself to get caught up in that, I will surely lose. I know that I will never have enough, that I will always want some "thing" more and that once I attain that "thing" happiness will be short lived and I'll be desiring some "thing" else. I realize that the longing for material things to make me happy, to fill a void, to gain respect doesn't work....and it's down right toxic.

I was disappointed in my momentary state of desire today. I have come so far with this issue. Over the last several months I had sort of jumped off the "merry-go-round of material want." I had found a quiet peacefulness in the deliberate choice to just remove myself from that way of living. I have simplified and cut back and re prioritized. I have chosen to be filled up in much more meaningful and lasting ways. I have started to notice more how much I have, how blessed I am truly am and how little else I really need. I guess today I relearned something really important...Chanel sunglasses do not bring lasting happiness.