Julian Odessa gives words of wisdom on how to flourish when stitching or in life, and reminds us that you don’t need new things to be happy…
Hullo! As we approach the end of the year, we often start thinking about what we might want the jolly fella to bring us this festive season. Do you want a new phone, a new car, a fancy new cross-stitch frame? I too often feel the Grabby Hands of Wanting reach out – I mean, I would LOVE a car with butt warmers in the seats! Alas, that isn’t on the cards and sometimes that gets me down.
When I think ‘if only I had this, then I’d be happy,’ I remind myself that the only thing suggesting I’d be happier is my perception. The things I don’t have are automatically more exciting than what I already have, so it makes sense! Of course, there are certain things that will make us happier – a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, people we love and trust in our lives – but often the things we think we want are fleeting. Also, when we think we need a specific thing to find happiness, we’re sometimes trying to fulfil a need elsewhere in our lives. The short-term happiness we get from buying something won’t actually fix our problems.
That’s not to say that having things you want isn’t important – there’s nothing wrong with wanting or getting awesome stuff! But the things you think you ‘need’ don’t always lead to long-lasting contentment. Sometimes, after we’ve got the object of our desire,
