What's in the way?

What's in the way of your happiness?

I have been thinking a lot about this lately. I hear people say, "If I could only have __________, I would be happy." "If I could only be _____________, I would be happy." "If I could only weigh _____________, I would be happy." I am as guilty as the next person in doing this. I am human, so I get jealous and want what others have. I see people living their lives and appearing so happy and healthy, and it makes me want that, too.

But then I have to stop and shake myself....what IS it that I would change...or what IS it that I would want...if I could have 3 wishes...would I ask for a new life? The answer is no!

I was thinking in church today that the things that seem so complicated and scary in my life are really very trivial in the grand scheme of things. I will be the first to admit that I am pretty interested in material possessions. I am being 100% honest when I say that I enjoy shopping...for myself and for others...and I am not one of those people who "doesn't get wrapped up in the commercialization of Christmas." I mean, HELLO...read my previous post about scraping my knees on Black Friday, shopping at midnight! But I find that my fascination with "things" really stands in the way of me being completely happy with where I am in my life. I use "things" as indicators of success for others, so when I see someone buying a new house or a new car or getting Colts tickets or fill in the blank whatever, I translate that into their success. They must be SO happy...they must have the BEST job...they must be rolling in the dough. But really what it could mean is that those people have a fat, nasty credit card bill. Who knows? All I know is that I have to stop viewing "things" as an indicator of the success and happiness of others.

I asked myself if I could get the "I want that thing that someone else has" roadblock out of the way, what else is standing in the way of being happy? A really big one here lately is the uncertainty of the future. Luke's residency interviews are starting Tuesday, and we will be making a fairly hefty decision in a couple months that will determine not only where we will be for the next 3 years,  but potentially where we will settle down forever. Though the decision of Indy or Muncie seems quite small, it is really huge when you consider I have a job in Muncie and a house in Indy. I have family in Muncie and I have lots of fun in Indy. I lived 23 years in Muncie and 3 in Indy. It's all quite nauseating. But as I was processing this in my mind...I thought...if this is all that is standing in the way of true happiness for me...I am pretty lucky.

So, what are your roadblocks to happiness? What will you do to break them down?