Hurtgen: Discover the power of contentment — How to live the life you dream of with what you have

I want to let you in on a little secret: You have everything you need right now to begin living the life you are dreaming about. You don't need a gym membership to get in shape. You don’t need those storage boxes to get your stuff organized. And you don’t need the ultra-hyped fitness beverage to better your health.

You have the shoes you need to begin walking. You need less stuff, not more boxes. That overhyped health beverage makes grand promises, but water flows out of the faucets in most homes in the U.S. Water, as the meme reminds us, solves most problems. Want clearer skin? Drink water. Lose weight? Drink more water. Tired of someone … well, you can look up the rest of the meme.

The point is that the barrier to moving toward the life you want is not out there waiting to be discovered and bought at a discount. The barrier to moving toward the life that you are dreaming about is you.

Psalm 23:1 reads, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." The Hebrew word translated "want" means to lack, to be without and to have a need. The psalm should invoke feelings of ease.

The problem is that we have confused “I shall not want” with “If only I had everything I ever dreamed I wanted to make people think I'm rich, famous and influential, then I would be happy." Want is translated in our hearts “if only".

“If only” is an ever-consuming, never-satisfied monster. Living without lack from the Psalm should press us toward living with a sense of satisfaction, not consumed by consumerism.

Taking steps to improve your life is good. You have all you need right now to begin moving in the direction you want to go. Start by asking what you want, not a mask of what you think you need. Then look at the resources you currently have, not what you need to put on the credit card.

Psalm 23:1 says, "The Lord is my shepherd". When we look to him, he adopts us as his own. Our value is not in what we gain but in what he has already given. You are valuable because you are his creation. His sheep in his pasture. Look around; he has already provided what you need.

Robert Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more of him at robhurtgen.wordpress.com.