Envy & Greed

I had a conversation with my dad tonight regarding coveting what others have. Sure, people often wish they had things all the time, I get that. But when you allow envy and greed to get the best of you, that's when it really becomes a problem. Envy and greed are two of the worst character flaws a person can exhibit. It's not becoming of a person and often has a negative affect on relationships (i.e. isolation, jealousy, etc). I do think it's human nature to always want more, however the degree to which a person displays greed varies from person to person.

What people fail to recognize are the sacrifices that are often made to achieve certain things in life. Little do people know that the grass isn't always greener on the other side... trust me, I know. I have envied others, but I have yet to let that envy get the best of me. I have never allowed envy to negatively affect a relationship because obviously I value the relationship more than anything. I have also been the subject of envy, and trust me, it's not a good a thing. Envy can be a slippery slope and once the envy begins, it is often difficult to stop it.

Being that it is "that time of year" I just wanted to remind everyone to be thankful for what you have. Stop wasting time worrying about what others have and worry about what you do have. The time, thoughts and feelings wasted on coveting what others have would be much better spent being thankful for the things in your life. There will always be people in this world who have more than you and there will always be people in this work who have less than you. That's just the way it is.

So please, take a moment to say thank you for the blessings in your life, no matter how big or small they may be. Today, I am thankful for my family and friends... the two biggest blessings in my life. For me, the rest is just gravy.

Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Baby #2