You can't be jealous or envious.

[PondPopper]

Great post. It's all about perspective.
I know what my family and I need and want out of life. We work hard to achieve our goals. We ain't rich. Not even close but we are content.

I know a few seriously rich folks that are totally miserable and they have few friends. They are just hard to tolerate. I think it's the money and all the stress that comes with it. Not sure though.

I know some "not so well off" folk that are some of the happiest you will ever meet. It's all about attitude and perspective.

[ken]

Days that I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations....well, I have really good days.

-Ray Wylie Hubbard

[Tmag]

But what if I want to blame someone else for what I don't have?

You could run for President!

[Tmag]

If you become a doctor for the title and money then you will more than likely be miserable. To me, medicine is a calling. If it is what you were meant to do them nothing else will satisfy or fulfill you. My sister has a four year accounting degree and is very successful. She makes more than I do and it took a lot less time and effort to get there. You have to find the life that makes you happy and then live it to the fullest.

Bam, this is it! It is about your calling.

[Buff]

Everything is a trade off.
There is a homeless guy camping out close to my farm. He lives in a tent with his dog and most times I see him he is just setting tending his camp fire.
I talked to my sons about whether or not I should feed him.
My son saiid "has he asked you for help?"
Could be he laughs at you every morning when you head to work to deal with all that we deal with while he is poking in his fire without a care in the world.

I spent the first 50 years of my life working 7 days a week 12 plus hours per day for months on end in coal mines all over the world. Some years I might get 10 days total off from work.
Folks would tell my wife " yall are so lucky to have the things you do"
Luck had nothing to do with it.
I worked every day all day and had no life at all, I just worked forever and ever and ever.
Now I dont really put in a decent work week and spend lots of time playing with my grandkids as I pretty much missed out on everything when my sons were growing up.
If it all caved in tomorrow, I could be happy back in my 1200 square foot house on the lake.
I have been poor and was pretty good at it
I'm all used up, bad knees, bad shoulders pretty much everything hurts from the years of abuse.
Yesterday I sat out in a pine tree pretending to be deer hunting. Just hanging out watching the day pass buy. Pretty bow hanging above me knowing I was about as likely to get struck by lightning as see a deer and I was happy.
Content with the knowledge that I really didn't want to clean a deer any way.
It didn't cost me a penny

[PondPopper]

Everything is a trade off.
There is a homeless guy camping out close to my farm. He lives in a tent with his dog and most times I see him he is just setting tending his camp fire.
I talked to my sons about whether or not I should feed him.
My son saiid "has he asked you for help?"
Could be he laughs at you every morning when you head to work to deal with all that we deal with while he is poking in his fire without a care in the world.

I spent the first 50 years of my life working 7 days a week 12 plus hours per day for months on end in coal mines all over the world. Some years I might get 10 days total off from work.
Folks would tell my wife " yall are so lucky to have the things you do"
Luck had nothing to do with it.
I worked every day all day and had no life at all, I just worked forever and ever and ever.
Now I dont really put in a decent work week and spend lots of time playing with my grandkids as I pretty much missed out on everything when my sons were growing up.
If it all caved in tomorrow, I could be happy back in my 1200 square foot house on the lake.
I have been poor and was pretty good at it
I'm all used up, bad knees, bad shoulders pretty much everything hurts from the years of abuse.
Yesterday I sat out in a pine tree pretending to be deer hunting. Just hanging out watching the day pass buy. Pretty bow hanging above me knowing I was about as likely to get struck by lightning as see a deer and I was happy.
Content with the knowledge that I really didn't want to clean a deer any way.
It didn't cost me a penny

THE END

Close thread.....

[BrandonA]

Everything is a trade off.
There is a homeless guy camping out close to my farm. He lives in a tent with his dog and most times I see him he is just setting tending his camp fire.
I talked to my sons about whether or not I should feed him.
My son saiid "has he asked you for help?"
Could be he laughs at you every morning when you head to work to deal with all that we deal with while he is poking in his fire without a care in the world.

I spent the first 50 years of my life working 7 days a week 12 plus hours per day for months on end in coal mines all over the world. Some years I might get 10 days total off from work.
Folks would tell my wife " yall are so lucky to have the things you do"
Luck had nothing to do with it.
I worked every day all day and had no life at all, I just worked forever and ever and ever.
Now I dont really put in a decent work week and spend lots of time playing with my grandkids as I pretty much missed out on everything when my sons were growing up.
If it all caved in tomorrow, I could be happy back in my 1200 square foot house on the lake.
I have been poor and was pretty good at it
I'm all used up, bad knees, bad shoulders pretty much everything hurts from the years of abuse.
Yesterday I sat out in a pine tree pretending to be deer hunting. Just hanging out watching the day pass buy. Pretty bow hanging above me knowing I was about as likely to get struck by lightning as see a deer and I was happy.
Content with the knowledge that I really didn't want to clean a deer any way.
It didn't cost me a penny

That just about sums it up!!!

[Artos]

I should also add that after working in Mexico Maquilas for 10+yrs, some of the most happiest & content people I knew were the line workers doing the most boring repetitive tasks that would have driven me bonkers after a week...always kept me humble & to keep things in perspective.

At the last years Posada / Christmas party, a lady of 60yrs mas/menos who had been with the company since 1988 got up grabbed the mic and with tears in her eyes thanked everyone (about 250 employees) for all their hard work & she loved her job & appreciated everyone working so hard so she could feed her family.

She was the janitor.

[Uncle Saggy]

Great thread.

[JeffJ]

Envy and jealousy will burn you up if you let it.

[Poco]

You can't be jealous or envious.

Great thread. Speedgoat, thank you for what you and others like you do for us.

I fell in a jealous/envy stage a few years ago. A couple of my good friends and there families where living life like rockstars. Through that time me and my family were living paycheck to paycheck like we still are. It was tough but guess who was the happier family? Yup we were.

Through that time both of them almost divorced. One eventually saw the light the other never did not and ended up divorced. He still doesn't see the light now due to him trying to be better than everyone.

For the last 5 years I've supported my family with my job income as well as guiding fishing trips due to my wife being in school. Its very tough trying to do what we like to do and pay bills all the same time on pretty much a single income. I wouldn't trade it for the world though. We always try to do as much as possible as a family. I look at it as making memories.

Its been a big sacrifice at times so that we can live a little better life in the future. Im happy to say that my wife is one semester away from earning her medical degree. Lord knows that were ready for it. Lol

My goal is one day not have to guide to pay bills but rather to help others out.

Ray

[12 point]

A cousin of mine is a well known gynecologist that owns his own clinic in Dallas and I do not envy him one bit.. He became a doctor because his father was one and he is miserable at this point in his life. Unfortunately he is one of those type people who has always been extremely braggadocious and looks down on others. He thought that once he had his clinic built and became a millionaire he'd be happy, but he isnt. All the exotic cars and other fancy things haven't brought him the long lasting happiness that one might think they'd bring. His wife married him just for money and he found out too late. Divorce is on the horizon.

[Boyd1212]

I have a friend that went to school and became a doctor. He makes huge money. He also hunts and kills every animal I ever dreamed about. He is living his dream. I used to wish I had that. The fact is, I could have. For one reason or another I never took that chance and instead, I settled into mediocrity and comfort. I have no right to covet what he has. When I struggle it sure makes it hard. When I see guys on here showing their success it really makes it hard. We make our own happiness and our own dreams. If you ain't living yours you can only be mad at you.

Well said! I have struggled through many of years but finally decided I was tired of living pay check to pay check. Now I'm in the best position I have been ever. Hard work and discipline with a little bit of luck.

[docmay]

A cousin of mine is a well known gynecologist that owns his own clinic in Dallas and I do not envy him one bit.. He became a doctor because his father was one and he is miserable at this point in his life. Unfortunately he is one of those type people who has always been extremely braggadocious and looks down on others. He thought that once he had his clinic built and became a millionaire he'd be happy, but he isnt. All the exotic cars and other fancy things haven't brought him the long lasting happiness that one might think they'd bring. His wife married him just for money and he found out too late. Divorce is on the horizon.

That's the classic story of why not to become a doctor. I love my job and make a very comfortable living. I feel like I had great parents who taught me how to live right. I try to be honest and humble. Thanks for all the positive comments on here and I think this thread reinforces that we should all count our blessings. Have a merry Christmas tbh!

[EdO]

I have a friend that went to school and became a doctor. He makes huge money. He also hunts and kills every animal I ever dreamed about. He is living his dream. I used to wish I had that. The fact is, I could have. For one reason or another I never took that chance and instead, I settled into mediocrity and comfort. I have no right to covet what he has. When I struggle it sure makes it hard. When I see guys on here showing their success it really makes it hard. We make our own happiness and our own dreams. If you ain't living yours you can only be mad at you.

Amen to that!

Your doctor friend put in the hours to get where he is at. If you've ever been in the hospital for an extended stay you also know that he still puts in his hours.

I was lucky and figured out early in life (20) that there had to be a better way than working in the woods in the winter and finishing concrete in the summer. Joined the Navy and stayed a little over 21 years. Got medicaled out which turned out to be another blessing. I've made it to 71. The wife and I don't have much, we've always done it on one income, but what we have is ours. Don't own nobody nothing. We are blessed beyond imagination.

Everybody have a great CHRISTmas!!!