Who Has It Better Than Me

This past football season Michigan won the college football championship. They were coached by Jim Harbaugh. The Baltimore Ravens made the NFL playoffs. They are coached by Jim’s brother John. The announcers told a story about their dad, Jack Harbaugh. As the story was told, the Harbaughs didn’t have a lot of material possessions, but their dad would often say to Jim and John, “Who has it better than us.” 

In my post The Great Thief I wrote about Teddy Roosevelts quote, “Comparison in the thief of joy.” The Great Thief Who has it better than me is not a question about comparison, hence no question mark in my title.  It is a statement of gratitude. Jack was an upbeat guy who focused on the good things in his family’s life and taught his sons to do the same.

The statement caught my attention. I was raised to be a grateful person by my parents. For the most part that has been the case. However, the negativity of others has affected me over the years. This was a wakeup call. It was time to shift my perception. 

I have been incredibly blessed in my life. Beyond that I have been fortunate to learn that being grateful is the biggest blessing of all. I am also grateful to know that I am, for the most part, in control of how I perceive the world and the things happening around me. Every day as part of my morning routine a reminder pops up on my phone saying, Who has it better than me. I say it out loud, and I mean it. It starts the wheels of gratitude rolling throughout my day, which changes my experience for the better. Nothing more complicated than perception. The Key

May you have enough today, one moment at a time.