our big or little gray house

I was reading earlier this year from the book Organized Simplicity: 

National Public Radio reports that from 1950 to 2004, the average American home has doubled in size, what was once 983 square feet is now 2,349 square feet.  

Family size is smaller.  Houses are bigger.  Today, smaller families (average family size was 2.62 in 2002) "need" bigger homes. 

Statistically, the amount of stuff we have accumulated, the size of our storage & closets and our pursuits of more are excessive.  Yet, the average Americans aren't happier than a rickshaw driver in Kolkata, India, according to a documentary I watched the other day.  Even with all the more....Americans aren't any happier than they were in 1950.  

 via National Geographic 

Since our move last fall I've thought about needs vs. wants and our housing.  In recent years, I've traveled to other countries...and walked through homes.  In Haiti [2010], a woman gave me a tour of her new home.  Her home was considered nice in contrast to her neighbors.  It had walls, a roof, wood doors, a few rooms.  [I'm guessing it was maybe 400 sq. feet?]  Her and her husband were so proud and beaming as they gave our small group the tour.  A few things struck me.  1. She was sincerely happy and thankful.  2.  She made it a home.  Concrete walls and dirt floors were the backdrop of pretty little curtains hanging from a wire in one window and there was a single piece of art in the home.  I thought of how we do our best to make a house our home irregardless of our culture or financial means.  

Happiness isn't dependent on our surroundings.  I know this is true but I need to be reminded and let go of my grip on things.  In the documentary I watched it said studies prove that once our basic needs are met [for food, shelter, etc.] our happiness does not go up with our income.  Scientists stated that they found people's happiness does not really increase whether they earn $50,000 or 50 million as a yearly income.  

I've had various thoughts as we moved.  We get used to what we have.  I want to remember I have enough.  Maybe someday I'll live in a bigger house.  Maybe I never will.  I want that to be ok with me.  Not because there is anything wrong with a bigger house.  But I don't want to look to that or wait for that day.  I have enough.  Here in our little gray house [by today's standards in America] or our big gray house [by yesterday's or many countries' standards].  I am happy here. 

"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, 

but in developing the capacity to enjoy less." (Don Millman)