The AWKWARD QUESTIONS podcast is a space for frank and deep conversations about Christianity and modernity. Hosts: Bohdan Halyuk - author, teacher, doctor of theology; Marichka Halyuk - Bible researcher, Christian blogger. Today we will talk about something extremely important - how to find joy and happiness in the simple things that are already in your life. Have you ever thought that the best thing in marriage is not the things that you can buy? It is the attention, mutual understanding, moments of laughter and support that make our life together so valuable. We have been together for 15 years and during this time we have understood one thing: when you know how to appreciate what you have, this is true happiness. Today we share with you our experience and discuss why dissatisfaction with what you already have can become an obstacle to true happiness. Timing: 00:00 intro 00:15 episode theme announcement 00:54 the essence of true intimacy between spouses 01:39 why do some people believe that happiness requires a lot of money? 02:36 wealth as an imposed stereotype of the key to happiness 03:00 for Marichka, happiness is in peace and routine 03:31 the relationship between the understanding of happiness and mental and physical resources 04:25 money as an opportunity to meet basic needs 05:03 the opportunity to make free choices thanks to financial security 06:24 the importance of financial literacy and security for a couple preparing to get married 08:23 money as a status symbol 09:09 why it is difficult to identify the level of wealth by the appearance of the houses of modern Israeli residents 10:40 money as an opportunity for a wider range of entertainment and pleasures 12:04 the income level at which an increase in accumulated money does not increase the feeling of happiness 13:59 how the ideas about happiness in our marriage changed during the 15 years of living together 16:09 how Marichka's life changed after moving from Kyiv to Ivano-Frankivsk in financial terms plan 17:25 where Bohdan worked in the first years of marriage and what vision of the future guided him 19:33 challenges of life in corrupt Ivano-Frankivsk 2009 21:15 Bruce Wilkinson's advice that changed our attitude towards money 24:48 budget entertainment of our family that brought us pleasure and joy in the first years of our life together 26:54 there is no shame in buying second-hand clothes 28:31 why Bohdan remembered the breakdown of his first car as a moment of free happiness 30:51 how Marichka made the decision "not to finish people off" 32:04 reunion with family as a moment of free happiness in 2020 34:07 what is the average basis for happiness at the middle stage of a couple's life together (5-10 years) 36:07 about the period when we felt dissatisfied (about "the house of the Hedgehog and not only) 44:31 how the experience of discomfort of that life affected our children and the family in general 46:57 what helped Marichka stabilize her mental health, going through 8 moves with children in a foreign country within one calendar year 49:31 why for Bohdan "Hedgehog's house" was special 50:00 how gratitude affects happiness in marriage 54:34 how we cope with trials in marriage without significant financial costs 01:02:30 movie recommendation on the topic of conversation - Christian film "Unsung Hero" (2024) 01:04:23 burn the ships of the past to move forward 01:06:38 episode conclusions