The other day I was listening to a song which really spoke to me. It’s called “Life Means So Much” by Chris Rice. This verse and the chorus, in particular, really stuck out…
Every day is a bank account
And time is our currency
So nobody’s rich, nobody’s poor
We get 24 hours each
So how are you gonna spend
Will you invest, or squander
Try to get ahead
Or help someone who’s underTeach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
That somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Life means so much
Life means so much
I often fall into the trap of comparing my life to others. You know how it goes.
“Boy, their house is sure nice. I bet if I had a house like that I would be a lot happier.”
“Did you hear he got a raise? They’re going to have more money for fun stuff like trips, dinners out, concert tickets, clothes, etc. If I had more money for fun things I would be a lot happier.”
“It must be nice to have kids who are old enough to be independent. Having little ones is so much harder than I thought it would be. When our kids get to be a few years older life will be easier and I will be so much happier.”
A wise man recently told Jason and I that a life of compare leads to a life of despair. He went on to say that we should measure our success by looking backwards and seeing how far we’ve come, not by looking at others and where they are.
It’s good to remember that I have the same number of hours in each day as the next guy. If we look at time as our currency, then we are all on the same playing field and there is no need to compare. We all have the ability to choose to invest in our time or squander it. We can choose to have a glass-half-empty or glass-half-full attitude today. It involves no one else but ourselves.
In a recent post Jason shared a line from “Tremendous” Jones that sums this up well,
“If you can’t be happy where you are, it’s a cinch you can’t be happy where you ain’t.”
[tags]Chris Rice, Tremendous Jones[/tags]
Kim,
Thanks for writing this blog. I recognized this song from the Door County video which we happend to pop in just the other day. I was looking at the kids and how much they have grown in the past 2 years since the trip. I couldn’t help but tear up seeing some of those photos. I think it is really beneficial to look back at some old photographs, a scrapbbok, or some family movies, to reflect on your life since that time. I find it helps me appreciate the present just a little bit more. Old memories have a way of making you feel proud of who you are and how far you have come on your journey.
I really liked this entry. It’s only human nature to compare ourselves to one another. But if I find myself starting down that road, I stop to count my blessings—good jobs, loving husband, roof over my head, healthy and happy kids….and I try to remember that my postpartum flabby tummy means that I was able to have those kids(my motherhood “badge of honor”), and have more than enough to eat! :) There will always be people who have more than you and that have less than you, so don’t bother comparing! I try not to wish away time (as in “I wish my child would just grow up already!) because time is the greatest gift, and I will never have this time again. Thank you, God for all the blessings you have given to me! (please give me the strength to also enjoy and endure them!) :)