I went to home of friends for dinner tonight. These are dear friends. I have known them for a long time. I was in their wedding. I consider them family. We can be honest, we can share our struggles, we can celebrate our many blessings. There is comfort. There is safety. There is freedom. There is grace. There is understanding. There is love.
Tonight we were talking about how we grew up. We all grew up in very different homes. We had very different experiences. My one friend was saying how she is doing better financially than her mum. She grew up with little. Yet there was a lot of love in their home. Her husband grew up in a very different situation and what their family had, they worked hard for and saved smartly for. I grew up with little and eventually my dad's business did well. There were other struggles after that but we still knew what it was like to not have to worry about finances as much.
None of us are motivated by money. Nor are we concerned with having lots of 'things.' We love being surrounded with family and friends. That is our treasure. We are all willing to work hard, like our parents.
Yet I sat there and started to think about my own life and the notion that we were to be better than our parents. We were to make more money, work less, travel more, learn more and have more. I wondered if that notion was still prevalent today. If it is, it should be done away with. I do not believe the goal in life should ever focus on being better than others. My own goal should be improving who I am. I have never been one to pursue material things. I love travelling and I love studying. Some days I'm amazed I own a house! (More because I am now 'tied' to living in one place.)
Maybe that notion has been in the back of my mind. There have been times in my life when I did not think I could pull through. There were times when I did not think I would succeed. I have mentioned before how I have ventured into things (such as my education), not fully sure I was like everyone else and therefore not guaranteed to succeed. Yet I did. As soon as I let go of unspoken and unrealistic expectations I began to truly live and learn.
Sometimes it is good to remind myself of the childhood story and say 'I think I can. I think I can.'
Tonight we were talking about how we grew up. We all grew up in very different homes. We had very different experiences. My one friend was saying how she is doing better financially than her mum. She grew up with little. Yet there was a lot of love in their home. Her husband grew up in a very different situation and what their family had, they worked hard for and saved smartly for. I grew up with little and eventually my dad's business did well. There were other struggles after that but we still knew what it was like to not have to worry about finances as much.
None of us are motivated by money. Nor are we concerned with having lots of 'things.' We love being surrounded with family and friends. That is our treasure. We are all willing to work hard, like our parents.
Yet I sat there and started to think about my own life and the notion that we were to be better than our parents. We were to make more money, work less, travel more, learn more and have more. I wondered if that notion was still prevalent today. If it is, it should be done away with. I do not believe the goal in life should ever focus on being better than others. My own goal should be improving who I am. I have never been one to pursue material things. I love travelling and I love studying. Some days I'm amazed I own a house! (More because I am now 'tied' to living in one place.)
Maybe that notion has been in the back of my mind. There have been times in my life when I did not think I could pull through. There were times when I did not think I would succeed. I have mentioned before how I have ventured into things (such as my education), not fully sure I was like everyone else and therefore not guaranteed to succeed. Yet I did. As soon as I let go of unspoken and unrealistic expectations I began to truly live and learn.
Sometimes it is good to remind myself of the childhood story and say 'I think I can. I think I can.'
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