Were you sold a beautiful lie: that you could have it all?
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I absolutely love this! We are in the process of buying a new house, and it isn’t “exactly” what we wanted in a house, but it’s the right area, the right price, and puts us close to family again. It’s not “all”, but it’s what will work for our family.
I love that you were able to decide perfection wasn’t necessary for happiness!
SO true! It’s not about having everything. It’s about having, keeping, and appreciating the things that actually matter.
That modern lie has been perpetuated more than ever in the past decade, and it’s made us lose sight of the things that really matter. So well said.
This really resonated with me. We put so much pressure on ourselves to have everything figured out and somehow balance every part of life perfectly. I agree that sometimes having enough and appreciating what truly matters can bring far more happiness than constantly chasing everything.
True. I wouldn’t want it all. Then I couldn’t focus on the things that truly matter. So long as I have my kids, I’m fine!
This is so true. In life, sometimes we have to give up something to be able to get what we wanted. Unfair, but..that’s life.
Oh, Carol, I SO agree with this! I decided very early I wanted to have a family and I wanted to write. I was fortunate in being able to have both.
But it meant essentially no second income in our home. And having to make a lot of sacrifices. Even shopping for clothes for all of us meant trips to the thrift store.
We had enough, though and I am supremely content!
Things often don’t go to plan. We need to stop listening to those that push us to stress about unrealistic goals and be realistic about what we can achieve.
I think society selling that “perfect” life isn’t helpful at all — we can be happy without all of that, like you said! And often, many of these thigns do come through our lives, it’s just not always all at once.
This really made me think about how much pressure we put on ourselves to have everything figured out. Sometimes accepting our limits can bring a surprising sense of freedom.
So much of us live a life wanting what others have or admiring other people’s lives on Facebook. But the reality is that we can’t have everything, and that is reality. Plus while I’d love more financial stability, the important things in life to me are family, health, etc.
I don’t know if it’s always a lie. I’ve always said to keep your expectations realistic and make the best out of every situation. Sometimes, you just can’t control what happens, but you can control how you handle it.
True – Calling the trade-offs life instead of failure is the useful correction. Choosing one thing wholeheartedly beats chasing ten and ending up tired of all of them.
Having it all is a matter of perspective. If we have a personal, realistic bucket list of goals that matter to us and we achieve them, then we have had all we expected.
The having it all concept is often driven by looking outward to the expectations of others rather than focusing on our own goals and life expectations. That said, life does come with its share of challenges and how we handle them also makes a difference.