From VanNat

Lately, I’ve been asking myself a question I can’t seem to answer.

Why is it so hard to be happy with what we have?

I live in a cute four-bedroom, four-bath bungalow close to downtown. I have a cozy front porch, a gazebo in the backyard, a patio table, and beautiful roses that bloom every year. I’m within walking distance of restaurants, bars, concerts, the arena, and the football stadium.

Many people would probably love to have a home like mine.

Yet sometimes all I can focus on is what I don’t have.

My backyard.

I wish it were bigger. I find myself looking at homes with large yards and imagining how much happier I would be if I had one. The funny thing is, I hardly ever sit outside. Most days, the gazebo sits empty.

So why do I want a huge backyard?

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if it’s not really about the backyard at all.

Maybe it’s human nature to keep looking for the next thing. The bigger house. The better job. The next achievement. The next chapter. We convince ourselves that happiness is waiting just beyond where we are.

But what if happiness isn’t in the next thing?

What if happiness is learning to appreciate the life we already have?

I don’t have the answer. In fact, I still catch myself wishing for things I don’t need. Sometimes I even feel guilty because I know there are people who would be grateful for the things I take for granted.

Maybe contentment is something we have to practice.

Maybe gratitude doesn’t come naturally.

Or maybe we’re all just trying to fill a space inside us that no house, backyard, or possession can ever fill.

As I get older, I’m beginning to realize that some of the things I thought would make me happy never really did. And some of the things that matter most—love, family, faith, friendships, and meaningful moments—can’t be bought at all.

So today, I’m asking myself a different question.

Instead of asking, “What am I missing?”

Maybe I should ask, “What have I been overlooking?”

Have you ever looked at a life you once prayed for and still found yourself wanting something more?