You are richer than you think

Why do we have a tendency to complain about the negative issues in our lives rather than using that energy to focus on the positive? Sometimes, it seems to me, that we are the cause of our own unhappiness.

We have to remember, that everything we want in life, is not a need, but more a want, a desire and while it is wonderful to get what we want, it is not the end all and be all of our lives, if we don’t.

I met up with a friend over coffee recently and listened patiently while she lamented about everything that was wrong with her life.

She hated her job, she felt unappreciated at home, she felt fat and ugly and she wished she had more money to fulfill her desires.

I looked at her in disbelief and simply said:

“You are richer than you think!”

“Haven’t you heard a word I just said?”

“Oh I heard every word it’s just that I don’t understand what you are talking about!”

Her shocked expression was priceless and taking advantage of her silence I continued,

“Have you ever stopped and counted all the things that are good in your life?”

“Nothing is!”

Ignoring her comment, I continued, “you have a job, yes, you don’t like it, but it helps pays the bills, until you find something better. You have a family, children who are in school and doing well, a roof over your head, a warm bed at night, food to eat, good health, friends and a reasonable social life – does that not count for anything?”

“Well, I guess so, but most people have that too,” she jumped in.

“Don’t take these things for granted or compare your life to others. In fact, if you look around you, there are many who don’t even have half of what you have, while there are others, who have more than you do, but focus on what you have, not on what you don’t have!

Many of us are like my friend. Our wants are more than our needs and while there is nothing wrong with wanting and wishing for more, let it not be at the cost of appreciating what we already have.

Just because you don’t see the forest for the trees, does not mean it doesn’t exist. It does, but we are too blinded to see it.

We all have so much to be grateful for, with or without the rose-tinted glasses and yes, we are all richer than we think!