Trading Lives? What Do YOU Say?

Are there people you envy enough to want to trade lives with them? Who are they?

Man. This one is a no-brainer for me.
My answer is a confident, head-shakin' HELL NO!

Now don't get me wrong- I'm not suggesting that my life is perfect, by any means. And yeah, I get jealous from time to time, for sure.

Of course I wish that we didn't have to work, that we could whisk off on fabulous luxury vacations whenever we wanted, that we'd never have to stress about money or health or...ANYthing, for that matter.

But let's get real, people.

That just ain't the way the plot rolls out, right?

I'm not oblivious to reality. Anyone with even the slightest hold on reason understands that life is full of ups and downs. We can't all be whistling and clicking our heels every day, and ew...how nauseating if we were.

We need down days to find the true worth in the upswing.

It's easy to feel jealous when we catch a glimpse of celebrity "Cribs" with indoor movie theaters, pools with waterfalls, personal chefs and...oh, housekeepers. OH, the housekeepers! :::pang::: It's common to compare ourselves to others and to feel inferior from time to time.

But that's what gives us the drive to build ourselves up. That's what motivates us to push a little harder, to plan for a brighter future, to make wiser, bolder moves... to stretch.

When I'm feeling down, jealous or just plain salty, I use this question to bring myself up out of the grey. No matter how icky the day tastes, I remind myself that there is no one, not one single person- past, present or future, that I would EVER trade lives with.

Never. Never never ever. I'm completely unwavering.

Trade my incredible family? My amazing friends? Forget how great I really have it?
Nope.

It's okay to feel jealous sometimes. There will always be people who have more than we do. I'm reminded of "Richard Cory," a very profound poem we studied in high school, one which I reference often. It might seem like someone has it all from afar, but inside...sometimes things are altogether different. You can never really know what it's like in someone else's shoes. Every story is unique.

So, on this eve of Thanksgiving, let's be grateful for today, for what we have been given, for all the blessings and burdens that have contributed to our own stories and that have molded us into unique individuals.

Because, to me, it's way cooler to be yourself- with all your imperfections, than to try to mimic the appearance of someone else's life without reading the fine print. And there's always fine print.

No trades for me. I'm riding this wave.

*****

XOXO From My Hearth to Yours
How about YOU? What do YOU say?
Are there people you envy enough to want to trade lives with them? Who are they?
Write or link to a response below. We'd love to hear your take on the topic.