Revelations
DiscoverMe month comes to an end today. This past month has been filled with revelations about myself and the people that I’m close to. It has revealed areas in my life that I need to show more gratitude and appreciation. It also helped me to realize the necessary work I need to do to move forward into a new chapter of life. I really thought that I made a lot of progress over this past year. Last year, before I turned 41, I challenged myself to become stronger mentally and physically before turning 42. I achieved that but decided to rechallenge myself in those areas.
I also found something that captured my attention: I have to show gratitude for the moments that I have now to enjoy my accomplishments when they come. What I mean about that is I appreciate everything that I have. But like an average human, my displeasure is with certain things in my personal life that I wish to change. One thing is my home. See, I am a renter. All I see in the news as of recent is how affordable housing has disappeared. The price of rent has gone up significantly in my area, and it frightens me. It puts me in the frame of mind that I will face higher than the average rent for my family to have a roof over their heads.
In my area, the cost of increased property taxes has been passed down to the renters. The owners of these rental homes, a.k.a. the landlords, have no other choice but to do this. Unfortunately, that means that tenants of these homes may have to pay over $500 more in rent, and that’s monthly! The sad thing about this is that tenants can’t do anything about it unless they become homeowners themselves. And if you’re like me, your credit is good, but your down payment for a home doesn’t exist anymore, thanks to life’s small print.
Quite honestly, I knew that rental prices would eventually take flight in the same direction as everything else we have to pay for. It used to be a comfortable $150 that I would pay monthly for my electricity bill during the spring and first month of the summer seasons. Since April of this year, I have had to pay over $100 more each month for electricity usage. Going to the grocery store is another example. I’m used to seeing avocados on sale for $.79. Now they’re $.20 more. The wheat bread that I buy from my local grocer used to cost me $.89. Now it’s $1.29. It may not seem like a lot to many of you, but for those of us who have to watch what they spend, those prices can add up.
But what does all of that have to do with gratefulness? Didn’t you say that you need to be more grateful?
Yes, I did say that. That’s the part that I need to work on. Regardless of the increase in prices, I can still find a reason to be grateful. Thinking of being thankful when all you want to do is hide is really hard. I know the importance of positive thinking and showing gratitude even in my most difficult moments. I know the importance of keeping faith when things look hopeless. But the rapid loss of affordable housing is starting to create anxiety. It makes me pause because I don’t know what the future holds.
So, I am going to work more feverishly on becoming a homeowner. I can’t give up my dream of being a homeowner. No matter how headlines scare me regarding the housing market, I know I will become a homeowner within the following year. All I have to do is show gratitude for having a home to rent and develop a plan. My advice to you: don’t allow inflated circumstances to determine your future outlook. Inflation is just a side effect of life. Find the cure to combat the inflation in your life.
