The grass is always greener. We’ve all either said it or heard it. The interesting thing though, is it’s just about always only greener in your head!
A couple of weeks ago, the hubby and I took a trip to Paris and Iceland. Upon return, a friend asked me how the trip was and admitted to being jealous when she saw some pics I posted online. I made a joke in response, letting her know that I was jealous every time I see pics she posts of her new baby, because by nature, most of us want what we don’t have. This, of course, got me thinking.
There will always be people in the world who have more than you-more money, more passion in their relationships, a “better body”, a more perfect family, more success, more friends, a better wardrobe, a more fulfilling job…you get the gist. On the flip side, there will always be people with less. There will always be people who look at your life and think you have it all, the same way you look at others’.
So when is what you have, enough?
It’s enough when you decide it’s enough. It’s when you decide you want to feel good in life. It’s when you decide you want to stop comparing and despairing, and choose to value what you have, and realize your life is pretty darn good!
There’s no scale that ranks people by what they have. What one person values, another often takes for granted. Just because some people appear to have “more” than others, doesn’t mean this equates to more happiness.
Many people think if they just had insert your desires here, joy would be inevitable. Let me tell you, this couldn’t be further from the truth. How many times in your life have you aspired for something, only to realize when you got it, life didn’t change all that much? You may have temporarily felt more joy, but the lasting kind comes from within.
It’s not until you realize the grass is pretty damn green in your own life, that you open yourself up to feeling the happiness that other people assume you feel because they see you as “having it all.”
What is good in your life today?
Take a moment to think about it. You can always come up with something if you actually try. It doesn’t always have to be monumental like a vacation or a new baby. How about feeling grateful for a yummy meal, a good hug from an old friend, an awesome workout, helping someone, a moment of silliness with your kids, a night in alone to do whatever you want, a bubble bath, groceries delivered to your door, a good book, a binge session of an awesome show on Netflix, and the list goes on and on and on.
I’ve said it before, and I will continue to say it again and again…happiness is a choice. When you choose to keep dwelling on what everyone else has that you don’t, you will continue to feel crappy. If you want more joy in your life, stop focusing on what you don’t have, and start paying attention to what you do. You can notice what others have and feel excited for them and the possibilities of someday experiencing or having what they do, but don’t use it as fuel to feel icky.
It takes practice to rid yourself of the knee-jerk reaction most people have in regards to other people’s lives. Just start noticing it when it comes up for you, and in those moments, focus on what’s good in your life instead.
Thinking about all the green in your life? It’s there in abundance if you just wash away all that dirt in your mind!
Happy day everyone!
