Counting Blessings

Why do we attempt to make ourselves feel better by looking at lives around us and think that life is 'less than’ and point out people who we think are ‘worse off’? Why do we say things like "I am grateful that I am not as bad off as those people are” or "I may have it bad, but at least I am not as bad off as some people I know."?

We assume others, who we deem are ‘worse off’, are some how less-than we are; we assume we are ‘better off’ because they are ‘worse off’; they are suffering and we are celebrating.

If I am picking out others whom I deem to be ‘worse off’ in order to feel better about myself, I am not doing myself any favors. Then again, in the moment, there is tiny satisfaction in noticing experiences I would rather not have and appreciate all that I have.

The flip side of this is that we can get our noses in the air and flounce our blessings in the faces of those ‘worse off’ and proclaim,”at least I am not as bad off as those poor people.”

It’s an assumption they are having a bad time of life and really, we don’t know if their life is a blessing or if their life is a curse.

I guess I would rather count my blessings on my fingers and toes than on other people!