“Who has never been burned in the sun won’t know the value of shadow”, Turkish proverb
Those who were born in a free country will never know the value of freedom. Those who fought for freedom or suffered under tyranny know the value of freedom.
Those who did not grow up in poverty will never understand the value of money or the suffering of poverty. As Marie-Antoinette famously said if they don’t have bread, “let them eat cake”. She did not understand that the poor were starving.
Next time you complain about driving a three year old car, remind yourself that millions of people around the world cannot afford shoes.
Next time you complain about the taste of food, remind yourself that millions of kids go to sleep hungry. Hunger is not just a poor country problem. Two million kids go to school hungry in Canada. 13 million in USA.
It is easy to complain about your situation. It is easy to compare your life to the best parts of someone else’s life. It is easy to feel sorry for yourself but let me ask you one question. How is all this complaining, comparing, and feel sorry for yourself working for you. It is making you more successful. It is helping you feel better about yourself. No. This is dragging you into a depression and just making you unhappy. Instead switch your thinking to valuing what you already have. Then look at others who do could only wish they had what you have. Be grateful for you have. Being grateful makes you happy. It takes you from a state of depression to a state of high energy. Suddenly you are able to think faster, think deeper, act faster, and get more work done. This puts you on a path to success.