The Good, The Bad & The Perspective

Ok, we have all heard the saying, "The grass is greener on the other side", right?! But we all know that is the way it appears, but not necessarily the way it is. Sometimes it seems that someone else's lot would be easier than our own, other people look better, have more, have it more together, can do more, accomplish more,  or ARE better, than us. Sometimes it seems like the only way we know to judge our own accomplishments or experiences in life, is to compare it to someone else's accomplishments and experiences.

It seems that in the world of social media everyone's life takes on a rosy hue. They are always patient. Always serving. Always vacationing. Always the best mom EVER. Always totally put together. And you know what...I don't mind the positive posts! It is like the whole idea behind BillionClicks. When she focused on the number of negative thoughts she had in a day, it seemed she felt more and more negative. However, when she started to count the positive things about her life, she started to realize the influence of positive thinking in her life. Post the positive! I like it! If it's real and you feel it, AWESOME! Being positive does not mean that you are "Fake". Holy smokes, do I ever hate when people say that! The thing is that the responsibility of seeing the reality in things is the readers responsibility! Celebrate happy moments with friends! Just because someone has a happy moment, or 20, are we left to believe that nothing hard ever comes their way?! No! Heavens no! 

You know, I had a bit of a realization not to long ago. I have PCOS and Hashimoto Thyroiditis, not a good combo when you intend to be on the lower end of the scale. I workout A LOT and I eat mostly good. I work at it, and yet in the last couple of years I have only lost about 40 lbs, as of right now. It is frustrating to say the least! I would love to have my body reflect how I feel on the inside. I would love to not have to pull up so much weight, while doing pull-ups at CrossFit. :) I would love to not stress about injuring my joints when I run. I would love to wear all the cute outfits I have pinned on Pinterest! :) However, it just hasn't come, and who knows if it will. I just have to keep on going...for sanity reasons! :) 

So, the realization came the other day when I was out with my hubby. There was a lady in front of us in line. It was very easy to see that she was a very pretty lady. She was thin and looked great. I caught myself being a bit envious for a moment. Then I noticed something else. I could see it in her face and in the way she was acting. That girl, for as thin and pretty as I thought she was, may as well have been the most overweight person in the whole room. She was insanely uncomfortable in her skin. You could feel it from her. It made me sad for her...then for me. I realized that in a moment of self-pity, I had forgotten all of the good things that I had in my life. I forgot that I had a hubby that thinks I am the shizzle and kids that say I am the "bomb.com", and most importantly, I forgot that I like me! I looked at her lot and thought my life would be so much better if I could just look like that. In all of my shallow forgetfulness, I didn't stop to think of all that I HAD been blessed with and all that this body of mine IS able to do. How quickly I wanted to think that her life is easier than mine because of her appearance. I am a silly silly shallow person sometimes! Oh brother! 

We all have weaknesses and struggles! When someone looks like they have it all, or all together, remember that they are going through something too. They may not advertise it, but it is there! And then, in all our understanding, we should be more kind to ourselves! We are doing better than we think we are! 

Mayor Bruce Call, my favorite Sunday School teacher, said this a couple of weeks ago in his lesson. I LOVED IT! A little something to remember next time we want to beat ourselves up, as we elevate everyone around us! :)