Today as I shopped for Christmas gifts at the mall for hours on end, I found myself getting more irritated by the minute. For as long as I can remember, shopping for Christmas gifts for my family and friends has been one of my favorite things ever.

This year, however, it began to seem more like a chore.

Seriously, I don't know how I've come to hate shopping so much. I really couldn't even put my finger on why I disliked it until today. I was consistently being plowed through and cut in front of by greedy shoppers who couldn't wait an extra two minutes in line, or for someone to finish looking at something. It was actually sad.

Upon reflection, I found that one of the main reasons I despise shopping so much, especially around the holidays, is not only because the meaning of giving is misconstrued through inpatient and selfish actions behind the scenes, but because we as humans have become so materialistic that it is second-nature to be unhappy unless we have exactly what we want, when we want it.

Because we live in such a materialistic world, it's hard to recognize how closely intertwined money and happiness are, because we are just so used to it.

Don't get me wrong, payday feels like cloud nine sometimes when you're finally able to buy those new Steve Madden booties or wild out at the VS semi-annual sale, but in reality, there is only so much happiness money can buy until that happiness starts to flatline. And that's a proven fact.

Once you get that brand new iPhone X, they will release another, better one and you will be unhappy until purchasing the newest model. That's just how the cycle goes.This isn't only specific to the holidays, but all of the time. It's extremely easy to be dissatisfied when we don't get the things we want right away.

It's little things like this that stick around in the back of my head and remind me how important it is to practice habits of gratitude for what I already do have, instead of being envious of someone who is better off than me or has something that I want. This is sometimes difficult in a world where we are surrounded by so many awesome and expensive items that the media and the public deem necessary.

So let's try to do this together. Let's stop being so used to getting what we want. Let's quit taking the little things for granted, because we aren't guaranteed anything. Most of all, let's focus on being grateful for what we do have.

"Aspire not to have more, but to be more"