Sometimes we are are own worst enemy. We allow envy and jealousy to control the way we look at our homes and the things we have.

You get up in the morning and walk through your home and instead of smiling and feeling grateful, you look around and sigh and wish you had…..more….. better….. newer…..the house that belongs  to your neighbor, your favorite blogger, your best friend. And just like that, your day is spoiled. You lose sight of what you HAVE by playing the envy game.

The ability to head to facebook or instagram to look at the beautiful photos can be relaxing and fun. It can also lead to discontent. Everyone seems to be happier than you, have more. Every aspect of their lives seems perfect. Trips you’ll never take, movies you won’t see, a loving marriage. Beautiful, intelligent children. Even their dogs appear to be smarter than yours. Don’t these people ever get a pimple??? Have a sink full of dirty dishes? Have a room in their home that’s less than perfect??? The answers are of course; Yes, yes and yes…..of course they do. But the only photos shown are rooms perfectly staged, kids with clean faces and sinks that sparkle.

Social media can help us connect or reconnect with friends, it can inspire us to become better humans, it can give us information to help make our lives better, it can amuse us or provide support during times of crisis.  It can also be a slippery slope into envy and depression…..the “why-can’t-I have,  be-like-them, I-want-that…. thought process that robs us of contentment. Pinterest is loaded with images that are stunning, yes, but those images can also lead to feelings of,  “I’ll never have a beautiful home”. “I can’t do that.” “I need a bigger house.” “I wish….”

Before you allow yourself to tumble down that slope, take a look around. Do you have a roof over your head? Clothes to wear? A bed to sleep in? Food to eat? Clean water to drink? You are blessed!

Stop wanting what everyone else has and think about what you already have. Can you improve it? Then take steps to do so. Clean it until it sparkles. Purge junk and outdated decor. Save your pennies and wait until you can afford to take that trip, buy those shoes, get a new bed. Small homes and rooms can be as beautifully designed as large ones. I’ve been in large, million dollar homes that had no personality or character, filled with the latest fad, but without warmth.

I’ve also been in tiny homes that were decorated in such a way that they lived large and were filled with beauty. Decorating your home with things that speak to your heart is much more important than having the latest trend.  This doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun and follow a trend…..if you love it and can add a bit of it to spice up your decor, go for it and enjoy it. Just don’t let it consume you and lead you to forget to treasure what you already have.

Realize that whatever your financial situation, you can have enough. Opt for classic, never go-out-of-style materials, and decorate your home with what YOU love, not what the magazines and blogs are pushing at any given moment. Instead of thinking, “oh geez, I want that!” Stop for a second and remember in six months or a year these people may be living with out-dated things and will be spending money on the next big thing, while trying to unload the crap that now one wants. While you??? You are basking in the home that is decorated with things that stand the test of time. It won’t give you a bigger home or one with bigger rooms, and I can’t promise you won’t be living with a sink full of dirty dishes from time to time, but great style isn’t about bigger or newer. It’s about heart. As in the things that speak to yours.

Make your home your sanctuary, no matter if yours is big or small, located in the city, the country or the burbs. It’s a matter of heart, not money. Create the home you see in your heart. You deserve to live in a sanctuary.