A small book, a small house and lots of happiness

Sitting in a Niagara Falls Starbucks - I have a stack of computer paper to scribe some thoughts,   (my pen just ran out of ink...not a good start).  The table is sticky but that's okay,  it holds my page in place.  A chai tea latte and a book I gifted to myself,  "The Little Book of Lykke.  The Danish Search for the World's Happiest People"  by Meik Wiking.  

I'm reading about happiness! 

That happiness can't be measured like a yearly income,  but that happiness is subjective and it's different for everyone.

Later today my 10 year old is having a friend over.  His mom and him haven't been to our house before and I'm feeling self-conscious.  Our house is small...very small.  In fact,  it comes up often in  jokes among family and friends.

My house makes me happy! 

The one comment everyone says who visits is,  "Your house is so cozy and comfortable."  

They feel comfortable!  That is the nicest compliment,  I think.

So why do I feel self-conscious about my house if I receive compliments from everyone who visits? 

I still worry about what other people think of me.

In his book,  Meik says, "We have been saying that money equals happiness.  Unfortunately,  that is  how we have been measuring happiness up until recently.  And while money may matter - it is not the only thing that contributes to our happiness."

 How do I teach my kids about being happy with what they have 

when society is so caught up in 'more is more'? 

What do I tell my kids when they are being judged by their friends based on the size of their house?