In this article, I talk about how we can be happy with our lives if we learn to like ourselves and be grateful for what we have. Too many people compare their lives to those of their friends and neighbours and come to the conclusion that they are not good enough. This can make them angry and maybe even sad.
I have to say that I used to be like the people I just talked about. I wasn't happy with the car I drove, the company I worked for, the amount of money I made each year, or even the girl I was seeing. My friends seemed to have much nicer cars, to work for much nicer companies, to make a lot more money per year than I did, and to have much more attractive girlfriends than I did. Sorry, Claire.
Since then, I've changed how I feel about life and am now very happy with what I have. I now look at the bigger picture, and instead of thinking about people I think are better off than me, I watch the news from around the world and hear about people who have a lot less than I do. I now know that, compared to most people on the planet, I am actually very lucky.
I also didn't like myself very much. I wanted to be taller, stronger, a better communicator (I had a stutter), and a lot fitter than I was (I was quite fat). I've since come to terms with the fact that there are some things I can't change, like my height. I've also come to terms with the fact that I'm shorter than the average man. I've also thought about the good things about being short, like having more leg room on an aeroplane and so on. I have worked very hard on other parts of my life that I wasn't happy with but thought I could change or improve. I am now at a weight I'm happy with and no longer stutter when I talk.
I now like myself, and it's okay if other people don't, because I have enough people who do. In any case, what matters is what I think, so if they think I'm an idiot, that's okay, because I don't think I am.
I now think it doesn't matter what kind of car I drive or how much money I make. I think health and happiness are the two most important things in life, and you can't buy either of them with money.
I've decided that worrying or stressing about something doesn't help me do well, it just makes things worse and harder. I now tell myself that all I can do in life is try my best, and if I do that, I can be proud of myself.
I used to be my own worst critic and be very hard on myself. I'm a lot easier on myself now that I know I'm going to make mistakes and will always try to learn from them. My brain and body are temples, and I need to treat them well. If I am, I hope they will keep me healthy as a reward.
I'm much happier than I've ever been, and I'm determined not to go back to my old ways of feeling sad and thinking negatively.
I hope that this article helps you improve your life.
