Most every soul I meet has a longing for a different life. Some of those longings are brief and wistful. Others rage through us like an addictive craving. At times those longings pull us forward. Sometimes they hold us hostage.
This past weekend a gentleman in a senior living facility reminded me that the grass isn't always greener for anybody.
Recently my dad became a resident in a care facility. Last week, my brother, sister-in-law and I visited dad around lunch time. Dad sat a table with two other men. While they dined-on pizza and salad, one of the men said he raced motorcycles with Steve McQueen. "Steve used to tell me how lucky I was because no one told me what to do."
Over and over during the meal we returned to that conversation. We talked about how "the grass always appears greener", but maybe it's not. The conversation stuck with me. Though I understood the premise, I hadn't contemplated the breadth of it.
From the outset we assume many things. By many accounts Steve McQueen appeared to have a remarkable life. He was famous, rich, an Academy Award winner, and much more. Yet, from his life porch, he wanted something else.
Jim Murphy, author of Inner Excellence, shared the following on Instagram.
So, after the Superbowl, Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown mentioned that winning wasn't exactly be what they thought it would be.
Murphy goes on to explain that even after winning an amazing award, the person still has their same fears, the same anxieties, the same soul issues. Which puts every one of us on a level playing field.
We may not be competing for high end awards, but each day is filled with opportunities to wish our lives were like someone else's. I wonder what life would feel like if we each saw how green our lives really are.
For me comparison is as natural as breathing. If yours is too, give yourself a moment, and remember that what we see only tells part of their story. Who knows, your life may look like greener pastures to them.
Have a brilliant week.
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