What Do You Really Need

The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

- Joseph Addison

A friend of mine who has health problems recently decided to sell her big, beautiful house in the country and move to a small condo in the city. It is easier for her to manage the day-to-day basics of life in a smaller home, close to public transportation, and the financial pressure is much lighter. "Yesterday", she confided to me, "I found out that I can't have the French doors I had my heart set on. They're just too expensive. I started to feel terrible, but then I asked myself, honestly, do you need French doors?"

When we focus on what we truly need, as opposed to what we might like or want, life gets much simpler, and it's much easier to feel grateful. Because, when it comes right down to it, there's not a whole lot that we really need.

It's helpful to look around and figure out what you need to be happy. If you really think about it, it's not a long list; food, shelter, rest, loved ones, something meaningful to do. All the rest of the stuff of life are wants. Important wants, but wants nonetheless.

Creating Simplicity

My friend's remark about the French doors has been incredibly helpful in cultivating an attitude of gratitude. Now every time I get caught up in wanting something and bemoaning the fact that I can't have it, I ask myself, "But do I really need this to be happy?" It's amazing how often the answer is no.