keeping up with the jones'

I'm tired of feeling like I don't have enough.  I'll never have as much time and money or look like so and so.  So why get bummed out with the way life is right now?  I'm tired of living off of these silly little daydreams of perfectly imperfect scenarios of my near future life.  Whatever it is we strive for is sometimes too much to ask of ourselves, and even if we get that ideal dream, often times it isn't enough.  I recently asked a friend of mine who accomplished a major goal of hers if she felt happy now, and the answer was no.  Money, beauty, possessions oftentimes aren't enough to make us happy.  I have always had this silly little idea in my head like, "when I'm 16 I'll be happy".  Well, that soon turned into 18, then 21, then 25, now I'm looking at 30 as being the magic number.  It would take quite a lot to make me "happy" according to my daydreams, which honestly aren't that extravagant.  All I would really have to do would be..... move into a smaller one level house that I can actually afford, lose 35 pounds, grow my hair out really long, get married, possibly go to college, get a good lawyer to take the ex-husband back to court, move out of misery Missouri and live somewhere else for once in my life, and have enough money on hand to buy new (or old) clothes, entertainment, and house stuff.  That's not asking for too much right?  It might not be asking for too much, but it certainly can't happen instantly.  We've been programmed to crave action and chaos, and instant gratification feels sooo good.  What I often fail to see is that happiness is a choice.  As annoying as that sounds, it's true.  And the most concentrated form of happiness comes not in the whole picture, but in the itty bitty teeny tiny moments that happen all the time.  It's out there happening right now.  How much happiness have I been taking for granted?  I have beautiful healthy little girls, a great boyfriend that adores me, a house in a good neighborhood, parents that are still alive and still love and take care of me when I need it, friends that I can cry with and laugh until I wet myself with, snuggly kitties that purr when they're around me, my choice of pretty much whatever foods I want every time I eat, ample entertainment when I have time off, a job that allows me to move and be creative.........shall I go on?  and on and on and on?  If you are out there reading this post in your jammies, snuggled up on your couch or bed, with your coffee, child, dog at your side......think about the happy moments you've been taking for granted.  Like the one you're having right now.