Choosing Less

I have to admit, today's prompt is very difficult for me.  I think that we live in a world where so many things are at our fingertips!  I have been very blessed with so many things, but often I find myself wanting more.  Yesterday, I drove my oldest over to a friends house to work on a science project.  She lives in a beautiful home in a very nice area of town.  Easily, every home in the development is more than a million dollars.  That isn't a world I will ever experience.  Even if I had the money to buy a home like that, I hope I wouldn't.  Not that there is anything wrong with those who do, there are just so many more practical things I would want to do with the money.

However, I will admit, as I drove through this tree lined neighborhood with Christmas decorations being put up and the Fall leaves on the ground, I couldn't help but picture myself living there.  How fun it would be to have all my kids home and someday have grandkids in a big beautiful mansion.  It is fun to think about.  But, then I found myself a little dissatisfied when I returned home.  My house looked so simple and plain.  The decorations my husband was working so hard to hang, just didn't seem like enough and I felt a little cloud rest over me.  Instantly, I knew what was wrong.  I was looking for what I didn't have, rather than what I do have.

The thing is, when we "Choose" to have less, we really will appreciate more.  The mere act of choosing puts the power in our hands, rather than in thinking we are picked on.  Ultimately, the only things that really matter are the things that can't be bought anyway, so why not choose to enjoy those and stop focusing on what we don't have.

Here are a few layouts I've scrapped this past week:

Found HERE

 Found HERE

I've still got about 20 more layouts to do before the 30th so I can get our 2011 album ordered!  Wish me luck!

The template for today is:

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Today's Prompt:  think of 3 ways in your life that you can live with less, in order to appreciate what you have.