It is difficult if you haven’t been able to appreciate what you have. If what you have isn’t much it can be difficult to accept that and be confident you have what you need. You can feel like you are looked down upon or have none of the markers of a successful life. One thing I learned from a young age by seeing the people around me was to appreciate what I had. 

When I was very young and not mature enough to know better I was forever envious of other people and what they had. In my teenage years I finally accepted that I had to appreciate my life then and there. I didn’t want to feel like I had to get all of the material things just to be accepted. I still appreciated material things but I didn’t want them to define me.

It is sad when you see people who have had very little finally get to a point where they can have things but their health has gotten away from them. In a lot of ways this is why it is important to appreciate what you have and find happiness and contentment in the here and now as really that is all you have. There are regrets for what should have been or could have been but life has other plans.

The reason I came to reject material markers was that when I had them people got jealous and either sabotaged them or stole them. It didn’t come easy and nothing does but it was the level of output to rewards that seemed not worth the effort. Stolen goods were even worse; it seemed though legitimate goods were normally stolen at some point in the chain and nobody came out ahead except the brands.

To be honest though there is actually very little satisfaction or contentment in anything. Especially things that need to be chased. You can chase whatever you want and I have stories of people who have chased this or that but when I look at it are they really satisfied? No, it just keeps going unabated, it really can be failing health that finally closes the door or anything but if someone is onto something it’s the conquest that keeps the cycle going.