The Poor Me Syndrome Page 2

. . . . . go into business had a constantly growing barber business, and instead of investing time and money into a university education, had invested in real estate. He now owned several apartment buildings, had his own home and was considered very well off.

Who Was More Successful?
Who made the right choice? The person who went to university had everything a lot of others would really be happy to have but he wasn’t. Every time he spoke to his friends, he would complain that the other person was much more successful, had several apartment buildings and was worth several hundreds of thousands of dollars. His possessions, in his mind, were much less than his high school friend who hadn’t wasted his time going to university, and was always caught in the ‘poor me syndrome’.

The other person who went into the barber business and now owned several apartment buildings was very happy with his life and what he had accomplished feeling very fortunate that his strategy had been successful.

One could argue that they were both successful but the one who complained constantly was never satisfied with his life; was always comparing himself to someone else who had more monetary worth, and chastised himself for spending far too much time in school.

Dollars and Cents
If you determine your success through dollars and cents, then you will never be happy. The more you have, the more you want because there is always someone who has more, who has a bigger house, a fancy car, a cottage, or can avoid the daily grind of going to work in a nine to five job. Is happiness simply a dollar equation then? Well, for one person it was but this type of person will never know the real happiness in life. There is never enough in their mind and where health, family and peace within are never counted as the biggest kind of wealth there is, nor where being happy with where you are in life, being grateful for what you have in non-monetary terms.

The really sad part of this story is that the person who went on to university is still unhappy, still caught in the ‘poor me syndrome’.

Ask Yourself This Question
What really makes you happy in life? Is happiness equated to wealth, money, possessions, or is it value you find in doing your job well, having a loving family, your health, and an inner peace?

Inspirational Quotes for Reflection:
“I think luck is the sense to recognize an opportunity and the ability to take advantage of it. The man who can smile at his breaks and grab his chances gets on.” Samuel Goldwyn

“What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life.” Leo Buscaglia

“Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

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