A simple shift of perspective makes it much easier for us to find gratitude.
It seems to be human nature, even among non-addicts, to compare ourselves with others. But the others we usually compare ourselves to are not those who have less than us. But to compare ourselves with those who have more than we do.
And of course, that makes sense. After all, why compare ourselves with a bunch of losers when we can compare ourselves with the rich and famous?
Now I can see going down the path of fantasy once in a while. After all, it might give us a burst of inspiration if we look at the lives of those who are living with prosperity and fame and all the benefits that go with those things.
But I think if we engage in this kind of thinking very much we can find ourselves becoming depressed. Because something that many of us don't stop and think about is that those who are in some respect better off than us are usually those who worked hard to get where they're at.
I read about people like Elon Musk who sometimes are at their office for days in a row, eating a meal a day, and even sleeping there. How many of us are willing to do that? Or athletes like Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan who practiced for hours to become the champions they became?
No, I think that if we shift our perspective we can develop balance in our lives and become more confident human beings if we look at our fellow man in a more realistic way.
We not only look at those who have more than us, but we also look with compassion on those who have less than us. There are those who were born with physical disabilities. Those who were brought up in terrible family situations. Those who had no positive role models around to guide them into adulthood.
If we look up and down the spectrum, we can decide how hard we're willing to work to become the kind of person we want to be. Then we can decide if we're willing to sacrifice to get what we want.
But we never want to fall into the trap of depression because others have more than we have. Instead, we need to be able to look at those who have less than we have and be happy with the blessings that we enjoy today.
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