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I can think of several times when recognizing that someone else had a better life actually gave me incentive to change my life. For example I went to nursing school when I saw that friends who had bona fide professions were better off.
No, or at least if my brain starts something like that I rein it in.
I'm happy, some people are happier, some are not. Some are happier, but have less, some less happy but have more.....
I have some chronic diseases that can make life difficult, but they are not life threatening. Problems are passing and make you appreciate what you do have more.
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I do think some people have "better" lives in that their "challenges" are rather trivial compared to most.
Some people never go through loss as much as others do. For example, there are two women I grew up with. Sally came from a dysfunctional home where she was neglected. She was always overweight and berated by her own mother for that. She eventually became a teacher and married and quickly found out she could not have children. So at 40 she and her husband adopted a baby girl. Her husband she later found out suffered from mental illness and went on disability. Then her daughter was diagnosed with cancer and died by the age of 14. Then her husband died of early-onset dementia after a long battle. On FB she posted a few times, requesting prayer for her daughter or husband. She really has had a life of sadness and loss.
Sandy was in the same class. Born to a popular family she was beautiful and never wanted for admirers or friends. She married the most "eligible bachelor" in town and never had to work outside of the home. They had five children, always lived in upscale homes and took lavish vacations with their large family which included her parents and grandparents. Her kids all graduated college and immediately got good jobs (unlike a lot of other college kids I know). Recently they moved into a new mansion rather quickly since their previous house sold faster than expected. She asked for prayer on FB too. Her request? The hardwood floors were still so freshly varnished that the fumes were giving them headaches. I kid you not, tons of people said they'd pray for her for her "struggle". That post got me thinking about OP's very topic. Yes, everyone has a version of a challenge in their life but for some it is way easier than for others.
I have a friend who is good looking, very wealthy, beautiful wife and is a wildly successful business owner who seemed to have everything he wanted.
One of his kids recently committed suicide.....think his life is better?
People often do not know what others are dealing with behind closed doors.
I grew up with a guy who had an older sister. Dad was a high-powered engineer who had a stake in a factory. Mom came from a prominent local family with quite a bit of land who had money themselves. Both kids did well in high school and went on to college - the woman got a PhD from one of the most prestigious schools in her field - things looked great ten to fifteen years ago.
Then the wheels fell off. Daughter ended up with three DUIs in three different states. She's 35, older than me and my friend, and cleaned herself up and is doing well now with a good job and a new baby. Still, it was a tough road for awhile. Son had severe mental health problems, substance abuse issues, multiple arrests, DUI into a cement wall with a loaded shotgun in the back, multiple suicide attempts before eventually completing it. He was not a bad guy but had many problems. That was four years ago.
His dad seemed to be gone working all the time when we were growing up. He wasn't really around much, and in some ways it seemed like his mother was basically raising him alone. Him and his dad were never really close. I don't know if it would have made a difference, but you know the family have to sit back and wonder how could things ever have come to that.
I do think some people have "better" lives in that their "challenges" are rather trivial compared to most.
Some people never go through loss as much as others do. For example, there are two women I grew up with. Sally came from a dysfunctional home where she was neglected. She was always overweight and berated by her own mother for that. She eventually became a teacher and married and quickly found out she could not have children. So at 40 she and her husband adopted a baby girl. Her husband she later found out suffered from mental illness and went on disability. Then her daughter was diagnosed with cancer and died by the age of 14. Then her husband died of early-onset dementia after a long battle. On FB she posted a few times, requesting prayer for her daughter or husband. She really has had a life of sadness and loss.
Sandy was in the same class. Born to a popular family she was beautiful and never wanted for admirers or friends. She married the most "eligible bachelor" in town and never had to work outside of the home. They had five children, always lived in upscale homes and took lavish vacations with their large family which included her parents and grandparents. Her kids all graduated college and immediately got good jobs (unlike a lot of other college kids I know). Recently they moved into a new mansion rather quickly since their previous house sold faster than expected. She asked for prayer on FB too. Her request? The hardwood floors were still so freshly varnished that the fumes were giving them headaches. I kid you not, tons of people said they'd pray for her for her "struggle". That post got me thinking about OP's very topic. Yes, everyone has a version of a challenge in their life but for some it is way easier than for others.
Some people just can't catch a break. I know people like this who have done nothing to deserve what life has thrown at them, and oftentimes it seems like one event after another. There's no real accounting for it.
I had someone recently throw back at me that I'm doing well and "live a charmed life." While I haven't struggled compared to a lot of people, I had several years after college right after the recession where I wasn't doing well at all financially. Years later, people see whatever the current results are and often don't know or forget what struggles may be in the fairly recent past.
I've also had some recent events that have caused me to have to look into the mirror. While I'm proud of myself in a lot of ways, in other ways I've been a very bad person, cruel and not caring what I do to others. All anyone can do is put their best foot forward and try to make the future better than the past.
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