Have you ever looked at someone else’s life and thought that they were lucky? Whether it was because of the 
relationship they were in or the material things they had, you considered their life to be a truly blessed one. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to talk to someone who appears to “have it all”, you soon find out that everything isn’t what it seems.
I was talking to a gentleman this weekend. We were sharing things about our childhood and he said something to me that really made the point that oftentimes one man’s blessing is another man’s curse. This individual stated that they had a very sheltered childhood growing up. Everything he and his sister wanted, they got. As he said this, I thought about my own upbringing. Even though I grew up an only child, my parents never indulged my every whim – much to my young dismay. As we continued talking, he shared that he’s actually working on releasing his resentment for this upbringing because he didn’t feel it prepared him or his sister for the real world.
I remember being a bit surprised by the statement, though I totally get it. I know that the upbringing I had taught me patience. The fact that I didn’t get everything I wanted from my parents gave me the drive to find another way to get the things I wanted or simply learn to do without. Did it help me to become the person I am today? Absolutely! Did I understand at the time that the way my parent’s raised me was a blessing? Definitely not!
There are pros and cons to everything. In hardship there are blessings and our blessings don’t often come without their own share of hardships. This is part of the duality of life. How would we know light if we didn’t experience darkness? How can we appreciate the good if we never experience the bad?
Having it all doesn’t come without its share of challenges. I’m not even certain that “having it all” is more than just a construct of the mind. What does having it all really mean anyway? Even those who do seem to have everything one could imagine are still looking for more.
One of the big lessons that I have learned in this journey is that we need to be mindful of comparing ourselves, our experiences and accomplishments to those of others. Just because they have achieved what we are striving for or have things we would like, it doesn’t mean that they have life all figured out or that they are happy.
Instead of comparing ourselves to others, we are better served to focus on ourselves, our continued growth and development. If you want to compare, look at where you were a year ago and where you are today. Have things improved or gotten worse? If they’ve gotten worse, be honest about what’s not working. If there has been an improvement, celebrate that growth and continue to work on taking things to the next level. Don’t forget, regardless of where you are in your life right now, every moment can be a blessing. The choice is yours! ♥