Positively Splendid {Crafts, Sewing, Recipes and Home Decor}

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Gotta-have-it-itis

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Moving into a new home is a lovely, memorable time, but one that puts you at risk of being infected with a very insidious disease the moment the shiny new key first turns in the door.

It’s a disease that makes you feel like what you already have is inadequate.
An affliction that makes you covet what others have.
A sickness that leaves you feeling downtrodden and dejected.

What is this dire illness, you might ask? It’s called Gotta-have-it-itis.

I have had a my latest case of Gotta-have-it-itis for three months now. It all began when the movers unloaded the truck in front of our new home, and the images of what I wanted this place of ours to ultimately be started dancing around in my head. Soon thereafter, I noticed myself feeling a little off.

I was eyeing the gorgeous photos on other blogs with a pang of jealousy.
I was thinking constantly of the gorgeous couch/chair/kitchen table I saw in my latest magazine.

And that’s when I knew I had been afflicted.

Gotta-have-it-itis is a disease that robs you of your appreciation for what you have, and it replaces a sense of contentment with a compulsion to acquire new, better things. 

The kitchen table that has seated my family for every meal for so many precious years has now become an eyesore.

The hutch we inherited from Matt’s grandmother is an outdated dinosaur that needs to be repainted, or else discarded.

Our roll-top desk needs to be replaced with a newer, more fashionable version. 

The coffee table Matt and I scrimped and saved to pay for when we married is begging to be chucked in order to be replaced by a new cocktail ottoman.

 Can any of y’all relate?

In the throes of dealing with Gotta-have-it-itis, it is common to become totally paralyzed. Why bother decorating a home with the lowly things you already own, knowing they’ll never measure up to the furniture or the decor you see on your favorite blogs? Why work on making your house a home when you can’t afford to buy the baubles and frills that adorn the pages of your favorite magazine?

It told you this is an insidious illness.

Friends, I am a Gotta-have-it-itis sufferer, and I will be for the rest of my life. It is a struggle, and especially in a world where unattainable images greet us each time we turn on the television or open a magazine. Since I have become a blogger, I have sensed a particular weakness in my ability to resist the green-eyed monster. I am not proud of that fact, but it is certainly true.

When my heart becomes the heaviest with the feelings of envy and inadequacy caused by a relapse of Gotta-have-it-itis, I have found only one remedy to be effective:

I take a look around. And then I evaluate every single little thing I like about where I am in my life right now, right at this very moment. 

I count my blessings. 

It sounds trite, but it really does work.

My hutch is a relic? Well, it is filled with china given to us by beloved friends for our wedding, and with heirloom family pieces that each tell a remarkable story.

Our coffee table is unsightly? Each and every gash and ding was placed there by the precious hands of our precious children, wielding the toys or books Matt and I are fortunate enough to be able to provide for them.

Truly, counted blessings are the only fool-proof antidote to Gotta-have-it-itis. 

I’m counting today, and I’ll be counting for the rest of my life. My life is filled with tremendous blessings, and the joy found in those is something I pray I will always be able to count on.

Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.
Luke 12:15

Thank you so much for being a part of Positively Splendid!

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Comments

  2. ASH says

    I love this blog post! I just moved into a new home 3 wks ago. It is much bigger than our old home and looks kinda empty. I would love to go out and buy a bunch of stuff but we are on a budget. 🙂 Thanks for putting it in perspective. Now off to the thrift stores to find furniture I can repurpose!

  5. Sandy says

    What an awesome post, thank you so much! My DH and I will be moving into a new home in May and this is so timely. I was thinking how much I would love new furniture, etc. but as it is, we have to buy all new appliances, since there are none in the new house. That will stretch our budget to the max as it is… so I will be thankful for what I have and know that I am blessed to have a roof over my head and furniture to put in it. Thanks again for such a great post 🙂

  6. Wendy says

    Well said, Amy! Thankfulness is key to having real JOY! God will honor and bless your efforts! I’m new to the whole “blog” world, but one of the things I love about your blog and the others I’ve “stumbled” upon is all the great DIY and economical ideas! Thanks for sharing!

  9. The Cottage Mama says

    Amy, this post was right up my alley. We are possibly moving so I have been all over the decorating blog world (usually I stick to more crafts and sewing). I have a gazillion projects piling up in my head and am thinking about totally redoing my colors for my next house……but will I be able to afford to do everything….ummmmm……that would be a big “NO”. It’s very easy to want to start over, but you’re right, the things we own have a history and should be cherished and appreciated. I’ve really been trying not to buy anything for our home that I do not absolutely love or need – that way, hopefully I will end up with timeless pieces that will last me through many homes. Thanks for the post…….I totally feel your pain!!

    Linds

  10. Kate W. says

    What an amazing post, Aims. You put into words what I sometimes feel. I would love to have a new house, new car, new everything but it’s just not in the cards. At the moment, I find myself VERY lucky to have an amazing 6 month old daughter, for Kevin and I to have jobs (after both being laid off), food on the table, clothes on our back, and a roof over our head. We are on a very tight budget (now due to daycare) but I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’re such a wonderful person, inside and out!

  12. Amanda @ Serenity Now says

    My name is Amanda, and I also suffer from “Gotta-have-it-itis.” 😉 I am constantly comparing my home/stuff/body/you name it to those of my friends. It’s just not a healthy thing to do. Thank you so much for the positive reminder to be grateful for all of God’s blessings!

  13. The Trappett collective says

    Yeah, we are moving in one month and more than doubling our square footage!! Yeah!!!!! But I always laugh when I think of how empty our new place will be. Also we have the college make it due furniture and now have the big grown up job and a big bonus coming. Thanks for this post I needed to know others are looking at their new places and know it doesn’t have to be now now now.

    but to think I will have lots of boxes for great forts and lots of space to let the kids play with them ha ha ha!!!