Saturday, January 11, 2014

More, More, More...

Last night I got to thinking about the constant need for more, more money, more clothes, more makeup, more weight loss, more cars, bigger houses, etc. I tried to think back to when that became the norm. When did our society become so obsessed with comparing what we personally have with what everyone around us has? When did we start caring so much about everyone else? Now I'm not saying we should all become selfish and self absorbed but we should be competing with our self not each other.  The person we were yesterday not the rest of the world. When did it become me vs. them? I started thinking about my grandparents, they never owned a BMW or even a brand new car, they never had a mansion and vacation home or the finest clothing. The one thing they did have though was happiness. My grandparents worked a job from the time they were 18 until the day they were able to retire at 65. They never job hopped looking for the next big break. They didn't settle for less than they deserved they were content. That my friends is the key word. CONTENT. No one seems to be content anymore, we're always looking for a  way to get to the next level. What happened to the simple days when having a job that paid the bills was enough, coming home to your wife and kids, having a car that got you from point a to point b safely, having clothes to wear whether they be new or hand me down just so long as they fit. When did we become a society of more? Of bigger is better? I can't help but wonder if we are constantly looking for the next level up when will we ever be satisfied? I'm not saying that we should all settle in life, by no means, but if someone is happy working a low paying job then why should it matter? Why do we feel the need to be the best of the best to be happy? What happened to competing with our inner self instead of with the entire human race? I worry that if this is how we think now what will happen to my children? Will they be required to sell their soul to become the best? When will enough actually be enough? 
Now you may think that you are content in your life with everything you have but I ask you to take this simple test. Think about one goal you have right now and then think about how you would feel if you found out your worst enemy or someone you barely knew obtained or reached that goal and you didn't. Are you angry? Jealous? Envious? Maybe a little bitter? See you've just proven my point that you're worrying so much about competing with someone else, why should it matter if someone else achieves a goal that you yourself have? As long as you are better than you were yesterday it shouldn't matter what anyone else is doing in there life. 
I leave you with this quote by Theodore Roosevelt: "Comparison is the thief of joy." Stop comparing and start living!! Life is not a race!