One thing hubby and I are constantly being asked since we moved to Spain is, “How could you give up your salaries in London to come and live in Spain?”
You see what most of my friends don’t seem to understand is that we got to a point in our life when we made a decision to choose what kind of life we wanted, and that included just wanting to have “enough” to enjoy the new lifestyle that we had chosen.
In every field you can make a choice. You can choose to live with enough and to stop making money when you have enough, or have what you need. Yes, there will always be another reason that you seem to need/want more, but when you eventually find that balance of having enough, it will really free you.
When you stop chasing, then you can really start to appreciate where you are at now (and I am only just learning that). One of the keys I think is not to compare yourself and your lifestyle with others. Here in Spain people have no qualms about asking questions such as “How much do you make?”, “How can you afford that car?” , “How do you manage to have so many holidays a year?” And that for me is where the problem lies; envy is Spain’s national sin. It appears in every context imaginable. The reason, I have now deduced, is because people have no qualms about asking what most of us deem personal questions, which then gives them the information they need to COMPARE; and this is where the envy stems from-making comparisons with others.
Now when I get asked questions about what I make a month, I simply answer “enough!” much to the exasperation of the recipient.
Millionaires aren't the only ones who can have what they want. Everyone can, but we have to choose what we REALLY want, and then be happy when we get it.
You CAN be happy with enough. However, you’ll never be happy if you never have enough (which seems to be the society we live in). I have friends who fall into the latter category,and they really are never satisfied (altho’ if you ask them they will deny this blatantly obvious fact).
So when was the last time you turned down more, to be happy with “enough”? (C'mon now girls, be honest, I won't tell anyone).
You see what most of my friends don’t seem to understand is that we got to a point in our life when we made a decision to choose what kind of life we wanted, and that included just wanting to have “enough” to enjoy the new lifestyle that we had chosen.
In every field you can make a choice. You can choose to live with enough and to stop making money when you have enough, or have what you need. Yes, there will always be another reason that you seem to need/want more, but when you eventually find that balance of having enough, it will really free you.
When you stop chasing, then you can really start to appreciate where you are at now (and I am only just learning that). One of the keys I think is not to compare yourself and your lifestyle with others. Here in Spain people have no qualms about asking questions such as “How much do you make?”, “How can you afford that car?” , “How do you manage to have so many holidays a year?” And that for me is where the problem lies; envy is Spain’s national sin. It appears in every context imaginable. The reason, I have now deduced, is because people have no qualms about asking what most of us deem personal questions, which then gives them the information they need to COMPARE; and this is where the envy stems from-making comparisons with others.
Now when I get asked questions about what I make a month, I simply answer “enough!” much to the exasperation of the recipient.
Millionaires aren't the only ones who can have what they want. Everyone can, but we have to choose what we REALLY want, and then be happy when we get it.
You CAN be happy with enough. However, you’ll never be happy if you never have enough (which seems to be the society we live in). I have friends who fall into the latter category,and they really are never satisfied (altho’ if you ask them they will deny this blatantly obvious fact).
So when was the last time you turned down more, to be happy with “enough”? (C'mon now girls, be honest, I won't tell anyone).
Back to LUXURIA