Don\u2019t compare, enjoy nature, don\u2019t break trust. Sounds simple. It\u2019s not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finland was ranked the happiest country in the world for the 5th<\/sup> year straight. One psychologist from Finland helped explain why she believed this was so. It was based on those three principles: don\u2019t compare, enjoy nature, don\u2019t break trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Comparison is the thief of joy. I believe that quote was attributed to Theodore Roosevelt and Dr Ray Cummings. Comparison does a few things. Primarily, it distracts you from who you are and who God made you to be. Believing that you must be something you\u2019re not is the equivalent to believing that God made a mistake. He didn\u2019t. Comparing yourself to someone else distracts you from what\u2019s true and robs you of experiencing any joy about that truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other problem with comparing is that we\u2019re usually comparing the knowledge of our best and worst to only their best. No one puts up their worst on social media. No one shows you what they look like when they first wake up and comments about how bad their breath is. You only get a \u201cperfect\u201d version of the totality of who that person is. That\u2019s a false representation of reality. If you knew as much about the person that you\u2019re envious of as you do yourself, you wouldn\u2019t be so envious of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One last reality about comparison is comparing how great you are compared to others. This is equally troubling, maybe more so. You have gained success and you make sure everyone knows it. You flaunt the bling out loud. The problem is, when you no longer have that success, or you realize it doesn\u2019t provide eternal joy, the smile goes away. One way to achieve true happiness is to be humble in your fortune\/blessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enjoying nature is simple. It\u2019s usually quiet. It\u2019s amazing to look at something and think a creator put it all together. The same creator that made nature made you. It\u2019s humbling. Sometimes it\u2019s breathtaking. Enjoying nature helps you put things in perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trust is something that is given until broken. The longer it isn\u2019t broken, the more is given. My favorite definition of integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching and no one will find out. Be the person that is so trustworthy that everyone knows they can depend on you. Be the reason people smile. Keep your word. If you find money, do the right thing. And know that one day you will be wishing someone else does the same for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more we find these things in our society, the happier we become. In America, it\u2019s worth stating the obvious 4th<\/sup> thing to do to be happy, limit your social media intake. It\u2019s designed to stoke the fire of whatever angers you. It\u2019s designed to give you only one perspective, yours. You learn nothing that way. Get off of it and look around. People are way nicer in person than on social media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Stay Classy GP!<\/p>\n\n\n\n J Grainger\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Don\u2019t compare, enjoy nature, don\u2019t break trust. Sounds simple. It\u2019s not. Finland was ranked the happiest country in the world for the 5th year straight. One psychologist from Finland helped explain why she believed this was so. It was based on those three principles: don\u2019t compare, enjoy nature, don\u2019t break trust. Comparison is the thief … <\/p>\n