:Source:

I want. I want. I want. I spend a lot of time focusing on the things I want.

I want longer hair.

I want thinner thighs.

I want a flatter belly.

I want to write full time.

I want to go to graduate school.

I want to be a foreign correspondent.

I want a bigger house.

I want a smaller house in a different, more exciting town.

I want to travel.

I want Botox (again).

I want more, hipper clothes.

I want to spend more time with my kids.

I want to read more books.

I want more time in my days.

I want to be my daughter's room mom.

I want to take Shelby to all her activities.

I want to sign the kids up for my extra circular activities: drama classes, yoga, swimming, etc.

I want to paint and create more.

I want. I want. I want.

I'm pretty sure I'm no different than anyone else, but I feel like I spend way too much time looking at what everyone else has and feeling like I need more, like my life isn't as great as it could be. It makes me rather ungrateful. The more I think about all the things I want, the worse I feel. Instead, I should be thinking about all the things I have.

I have two healthy happy kids.

I have a good job with excellent health care.

I have a beautiful home.

I have a wonderful best friend of 25 years. Not everyone gets to have a friendship like that.

I have in laws who not only adore my kids, but step in and help all the time.

I have more "things" than one person deserves -- iPads, an iPhone, laptops, books, clothes, two cars -- and the list goes on and on.

I have a clean bill of health after earlier this year when my doctor discovered two tumors on my ovary and had to have them surgically removed.

I have a husband who is trying so hard to be a better person.

I have. I have. I have. That sounds so much better than I want, I want, I want. If I could only reprogram my brain and spend more time thinking ... I have. I have. I have.

I'm blessed. I'm blessed. I'm blessed.

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Written as an assignment for Ali Edwards’ class “31 Things” at Big Picture Classes.