thoughts about our decision

Since embarking on this new adventure (the one called picking up and moving to Arizona), we have asked ourselves many, many times if we are making the right decision.

I don't know the answer yet. But I sure hope so.

My thoughts keep swirling around our decision and happiness--on being content and being intentional.

I have found, and so I believe, you can find and choose happiness. Even when you are crammed into a small living space, stuck in a job you don't like, or living on a tight budget. There is power in contentment--in finding peace and happiness with just what you have. Instead of always dreaming about the next best thing, you can live happily with what you have in that moment, no matter your circumstances. I think, with a little effort, we can train ourselves to shift our thoughts so we feel content and satisfied. And that is a good feeling.

I have had to do just that over the last few years with some things in our life. Some things just haven't gone as I imagined. We were dealt a hand and we have had to figure things out and make things work and learn to be happy and content even when things were less than ideal. There have been big things and little things (like all three boys crammed into one bedroom--some days that's a little thing and some days that's a big thing to deal with).

I have worked really hard on changing my mindset and my attitude and, most days, I have learned to be satisfied and happy just as we are right now.

But I've always been a firm believer in living intentionally, in fighting for the things you really want, and going out and making it happen.

How can we both feel the peace and satisfaction of being content and, yet, live intentionally? Is one way of living better than the other? Or do they go hand in hand?

I'm not sure.

Eric and I spend our money differently than some of our friends. I'm not saying we are better or worse, but the fact of the matter is that different families use their money on different things because of their particular family culture, priorities, and goals. We have things that are important to us so we spend more in those areas and things we spend less on because it is not a priority for us.

Maybe it's similar to that. We can't have everything at once and so we prioritize. We learn to be content with some things and live intentionally in other areas. And that might change a little at different times in our lives.

Are we making the right decision?

We could probably be happy and make it work no matter where we are. There is good and bad no matter what and we can learn to focus in on the good more often than the bad. But when we think about what we really want for our family right now it leads us to choose to take a step in the dark and live our own intentional adventure.