For most of my life, I have struggled with contentment.
I remember even back to my elementary school days, where I always wanted what I didn’t have: boys, clothes, friends, toys, you name it. This flaw has remained with me to this very day where I still compare my life to others.
I know we can all relate to this.
As wonderful as social media is, it gives us a chance, through several mediums, to compare ourselves to those we know. Pinterest sometimes makes me feel like my cooking is not good or creative enough. Facebook reminds me that I am not going through an exciting life change like many of those around me. Instagram can trick me into thinking that other people live more glorious lives than I do.
And it goes on and on. We compare.
We compare our lives, no matter how wonderful they might be, to other people. “I wish my wedding was that beautiful.” “I wish I was having a baby right now.” “I wish my meals looked like that.” “I wish I had important and funny things to say on Twitter.”
This influences the way that I view wealth as well. I have come to believe that I am poor – that I don’t have as much as other people have, and therefore, I am poor.
What a ridiculous idea.
Sure, Fred and I are still paying off debt, and sure, we don’t have as much money as other people, but there has never been a day in my life where I am lacking something that I truly need. I might want a more glamorous home or phone or car or wardrobe, but I truly have more than enough.
In those moments, I need to remind myself that I am not poor – that I have more than enough, and that comparing my life to other people’s will not make me happier.
This week I joined Instagram. Seems funny, seeing as I mentioned above how it sometimes makes me feel less glorious, but there has been a freedom in it for me. To show the parts of my life that I want to share with the world, the parts that aren’t necessarily fancy, but give a glimpse into something that gives me joy.
This week, I have the privilege of being on a trip with my job in Mexico. I am with friends that I love, and we are eating delicious things and seeing interesting sites, and that has been fun for me. Next week, I will be back home, and I want to resolve that even when I am not eating delicious food or lounging on a beach, I can still be content.
I can still be happy with my life the way it is right now – I don’t have to wait until I am debt-free or have a family or have a bigger and better [fill in the blank].
Will you join me?
Will you remember with me that contentment is better than comparison? That we can be happy where we are, with what we have, without checking to see if others have it better?
I’m going to give it a try. Worst case scenario, I can log in to Facebook and start comparing again tomorrow.
But I think more joy will come if I remember that I am truly blessed.
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