Monday’s can be difficult.
You wake up, it’s the start of a new week and you might be feeling a bit anxious.
Your mind is racing ahead to all the things you need to do and all the challenges you need to overcome.
It can be a bit daunting.
So here’s a mood booster for you.
A reason why you don’t need to feel so bad, why you should be grateful for your life and why today is a great day to be you.
It’s easy to look at certain other people and think they have better lives.
Our default mental state is to do this.
And it’s often around money or job success.
Or some other trivial externality that we shouldn’t be so envious of but that we’re insecure about.
Truthfully, we all have this innate trait of envy.
And it can get us down.
It can feel rubbish.
I spoke on last week’s Mood Boost about how the people we compare ourselves to aren’t as happy as they seem.
But there’s another idea which is equally, if not more powerful, when it comes to envy.
Here’s the idea:
Instead of looking to others who have more, we should flip the script.
We should look to those who have less.
To the people around us who may be going through something tough.
Whether it’s financial, relational or emotional.
There’s always someone going through stuff.
Going through something you would hate to go through.
And something they would probably give so much to put an end to.
Think of a friend who has been made redundant.
Or who has gone through an ugly break up.
Or who has had some really bad financial misfortune.
They would give anything to be you.
And to have your daily worries.
This mental exercise can be taken a step further too.
All these examples have been first world problems.
Problems you may even be going through now.
So if you can’t find consolation here, keep looking.
No matter who you are, if you’re reading this, you are living someone’s dream life.
Think of the 500 million people are starving in the world.
They dream morning noon and night about your life.
About their worst problem being made redundant from a professional job.
Or being late for an interview.
Or going through a breakup.
Or being stuck in traffic.
Millions of people in the world would give anything and everything to live your life.
You are living millions of peoples dream lives.
Recognise this.
Stop looking at others who have more.
Start looking at those who have less.
Develop empathy for them.
Help them if you can.
They are struggling.
You’ll be ok.
And above all, be grateful for what you’ve got.
Love, as always,
Max
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