WHY THE ABILITY TO HAVE MORE DOESN'T MEAN YOU WANT MORE

Ever since I moved to Toronto, I can say without hesitation that I've been fortunate enough to have pretty much whatever I wanted. I thought I knew what that comfort was before, but I didn't really...

I thought success was defined by things... What kind of car you drove, how big your house was, what brand of clothes you wore, etc. I remember when I bought my first flat screen TV and king sized bed. I remember how good I felt making those purchases, because in my mind, I felt that I had made it. When I met my husband and we bought an Audi, GAME OVER.

We moved into a three bedroom home with so much space. A home with an extra room for guests. A home with two fantastic patios, a huge open kitchen, AND ROOM FOR ALL OF OUR THINGS. Soon we were buying things just to fill the space. Then something started happening. I had anxiety because we had TOO many things. Too many clothes. Too many electronics and gadgets. My husband's huge, burgeoning shoe collection was making me mad. Our daughter had too many toys, things she never played with, and they were everywhere. A reminder of success began to be my enemy. I started having trouble getting restful sleep because of the energy of so many things.

Something had to change.

Our beautiful boxer boy Jameson was diagnosed with lymphoma in June. Going up multiple flights of stairs in and out of our house - in time - wasn't going to be the easiest thing, and I know that carrying a 60-pound dog up and down stairs wasn't going to work for us. As it is, carrying our 24 pound daughter Joeli up and down the stairs - with her stroller and gear - started to become a drag.

Just a girl and her dog #JoeliEstelle #Jameson #Love ❤️

A photo posted by Melissa Bunting (@melissabuntcake) on Sep 14, 2015 at 2:05pm PDT

I talked my husband into downsizing. At first, he was hesitant. He thought we were managing our home just fine. But I was persistent.

It's been a couple of weeks since we downsized into a home that has no stairs. It's quite a bit smaller. Moving in and finding a place for everything has been daunting and overwhelming. I wondered right away if I had made a mistake...

Maybe I shouldn't have persuaded him to move. But something magical started to take place.

Comfort.

I realized that purging and donating things that other people could use more made me SO happy. Having less is making me happy. I am sleeping better. I am happier with less.

What an awesome life lesson to FINALLY learn. :)

Why having a gratitude journal will change your life

When you're out, do you notice things that make you grateful or thankful? Since moving to Canada in 2011, I've made a conscious effort to live in the moment. It was something that I had really never done. I was very concerned with advancing my career, and because of the thrill of that chase, I really never took time to appreciate what was around me.

I lived at the beach basically for over six years - between San Diego and Tampa, I lived where people go to vacation. I didn't really appreciate that beauty until I was gone. I didn't appreciate that I could go to the beach and clear my mind whenever I wanted.

Fast forward to today. A friend of mine inspired me to start a gratitude journal, and even though I'm only a few entries in, I can tell that it's life changing. A gratitude journal is a great way to keep yourself in a thankful and positive state of mind.If you can write down things you're grateful for a few times per week, it's ideal.

Making my first entry in my first #GratitudeJournal. Excited, nervous all wrapped into one!

A photo posted by Melissa Bunting (@melissabuntcake) on Aug 5, 2015 at 5:51pm PDT

Studies say keeping a journal like this has many positive health benefits - including better sleep, decreased anxiety and depression, fewer symptoms of illness, and it's a good way to get through the difficulties of life.

Nothing is too big or too small. For instance, my hubby and I celebrated our friend's birthday last night and I enjoyed a delicious cider. I don't have them often and it made me happy. It added to my experience out with friends and for that I am grateful. I came across this list of how to get into a grateful mindset.

Give it a try and see how it changes your life. Going back and reading entries in your journal is a lot of fun :).