Have and Have Not... What We Should Have Learned in First Grade

When Andrea taught first grade, her students would often jostle for the coveted position at the front of the line. Anyone that was “less than” first in line would complain about their position. This is what seven-year-olds do. And guess what? It doesn’t change much as we grow into adults.

We live in a world where even the most humble people sometimes look around and take note of what others around them “have” or “don’t have.” We are certain you can go to a store somewhere and purchase a premium quality iWant, or a fancy new iWish, or even better yet, an awesome new iEnvy. They come in all sizes and colors, with huge life-time memory, and free engraving on your soul if you want. The trouble is, just as soon as you get your iWant, iWish, or iEnvy... there’s a new updated model that comes out and you have to start all over!

We’re not saying it is bad to have ambition. Or desire. Or even appreciation for material things. But one thing we can guarantee is that the fastest way to ruin a perfectly good day is to compare yourself with others who have more than you. That is because looking at the people who have “more” means that you are by default NOT looking at the people who have “less”. You lose your entire perspective.

The challenge in your every day is to keep that perspective clear. And this is even bigger than being able to truly appreciate what we DO have and to not allow those in front of us to cloud the view of the great success that we can enjoy with those around us. This is about finding joy and happiness for others when they become successful! It’s like celebrating when your favorite team wins the Super Bowl. We didn’t win the game directly, but we are so excited for those who did that we choose to identify with them and enjoy their happiness. It makes a big difference in our ability to enjoy life!

So go on and get yourself a brand new, state-of-the-art iAppreciate. It will make you sing and dance to a whole new beat.

Until next time, friends... Rock On!