I realized something this week...
The key to happiness is to stop counting other people's blessings and start counting your own!
I don't know if I have heard that somewhere before or if I came up with it myself, but I was pretty proud of myself for this profound statement. (Here's hoping that it's actually mine!)
Seriously though...
I feel like a broken record. But, for me, this is something I have to remind myself almost daily- sometimes multiple times a day. I often refer back to my own blog posts and re-read the Bible verses that I have referenced in search for a reminder, a refresher, or just a plain old "pick-me-up" to get me through the day.
In the social media crazed world we live in today, it is so easy to get off track. I often find myself spending more time scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest looking at all the "blessings" in others' lives than actually reading my Bible and reflecting on my own life's "blessings".
It really all boils down to the age old saying, "Keeping up with the Jones'...", except the "Jones'" didn't used to have a Facebook (...or any other social network). I once heard my pastor say, "Don't compare someone else's highlight reel with your behind the scenes." This is so true! Other than the few people out there that just like to air their dirty laundry for the world to see, most people only use social media to post the great exciting things happening in their lives. When we spend so much of our time reading through the latest posts of the day, of course we are going to get discouraged and start to feel like our lives just don't measure up.
Why is it so easy for our focus to slip away? Why do we so easily forget all about the blessings in our own lives and only see those in others, wondering "why cant that happen to me"? I don't know the answer, but I do know that I can at least consciously make an effort to take some time every day to really reflect on my life and count my blessings, remember prayers that have already been answered, and dreams that have come true. Most of all, remember that my story isn't over. It has only just begun.
I am blessed!