I’m in Harrogate for the UK Grand Sale taking place on the showground. Writing this post in the caravan, watching the most beautiful pink dawn creep across the sky.

I love mornings like this.

Looking at the dew on the ground, I’m sure it’s cold outside but sat in the caravan with its warm central heating, I smile and enjoy the moment. I think one of the reasons I love spending time here is the large windows on all sides that make me feel a part of the landscape.

Caravan sites though are strange places. They remind me of golf clubs, with their obsessions about rules and appearance.  They bring out the worst in people and encourage a “keeping up with the Jones” mentality.

As new people arrive and set up, I watch the curtains twitch on the surrounding caravans as people check out the new arrivals. You can almost hear their silent thoughts as they discuss the model of caravan and tow car. Is our caravan more modern? Is our car better, do they fit in, are they one of us!

This kind of comparison or analysis is pointless and self-harming.  It doesn’t matter what somebody else has.  It won’t make any difference to you whether the neighbour’s caravan is old or new. It sure as hell doesn’t affect you if they are towing with a brand-new Range Rover or a battered old Jeep.

So why look? Why talk about it?

The happiest people are those who are satisfied with what they have. Forget your comparisons; they don’t help you live a happy or fulfilled life. Focus instead on feeling gratitude for what you have already and the life you lead.

Spending money on expensive material possessions won’t help you feel better about yourself. Obsessing about new things doesn’t lead to feelings of joy. More likely, it leads the opposite way. It’s no coincidence that our biggest spenders are some of the most unhappy.

I remind myself of these facts each morning. It’s not easy. I’m no different and spend too much time looking at websites containing desirable glossy pictures of bikes and caravans that I can’t afford.

But here, on this bright clear morning I do well to remember that I already have everything I need to live the life of my dreams and the only cost of this beautiful moment was getting up early.

Together, we climb the mountain, not in giant leaps but one small step at a time.