Marie Antoinette:
Now here's someone whose life probably looked perfect from the outside...
but we all know how that turned out!
--
Sarah (aka: Thrifty Decor Chick)
has written a very compelling post
that touches on some often unspoken but important subjects:
Blog Envy
and...
The Elusive Quest for Perfection.
------
Both subjects provoked questions and thought in my own mind.
I asked myself:
"What is perfection?"
If we gave it any hard thought...
I believe we'd all find that we're trying to live-up to some unrealistic ideal...
put upon us by outside pressure that is not necessarily positive.
-----
Another provoking question...
how to handle that all-too-human emotion of...Envy??
My own response...
one of the tricks I use
whenever envy hits me...
is to convert it...
transform it
into...
Appreciation.
How??
Once I understood...
that we are all made with our own special gifts...
this became much easier to do!
In fact,
I once read that we can/should learn something valuable
from each person we meet...
no matter their intellect, education, or profession.
----
I Confess...
it's taken me decades...
but I now try to look for this lesson
in each encounter I have with another.
My logic is such that...
if I let envy take over...
then I might miss something very Valuable !
As you might guess, Sarah's article is very thought provoking,
and the many comments are insightful as well.
I highly recommend it-- as well as her amazing & artistic blog.
what an excellent post Tracey!
ReplyDeleteThank you Dana!!
ReplyDeleteWarmly,
Tracey
I've been working on Sunday's post for a day or two now. It is also about expecting perfection!
ReplyDeleteMust be something we are all pondering right now. I think it is especially something that pops up as we near the Holiday season.
I totally agree, what an excellant post. I love how you deal with envy. Going to go and check out the blog you mentioned. Hugs my friend..
ReplyDeleteI just had to come back after reading Sarah's post. What a thought provoking post is right. She is bang on!! Again thank you for giving us the link.
ReplyDeleteGreat post:) Thank you for you kind comment. Hope you are having a great weekend. ~aubrey
ReplyDeleteHello Brenda, I think you must be right about the subject floating about. I'm looking very forward to your upcoming post...you always provoke my thought (and always in a very good, positive, way :).
ReplyDeleteWarmly,
Tracey
~~~~~~~~
Hi Carol,
Thanks so much, as always, for the good words and for your input on Sarah's blog. I agree, she is "bang on" and wonderful of her to address the subject.
Warmly,
Tracey
xo
~~~~~~~~
Hi Aubrey--You are very welcome! Wishing a happy weekend to you!
Warmly,
Tracey
Tracey,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the link. It does give one much to think on. What a blessings contentment is.
Gina
Hello Gina, you are so very right...contentment is a blessing. s Abraham Lincoln said, "Most people are as happy as they make up their mind to be."
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely evening.
Warmly,
Traceyxo
Hi Clarice...I think you are right...in fact...I use the envy strategy all the time when visiting your enchanting blog! LOL And look how much I've learned from you!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Traceyxoxox
What a thought provoking post! I agree with you and Brenda; we are all considering this these days. Is it the season of year or season of life??
ReplyDeleteWarmly,
M
Good question Matty...
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is that it's more a matter of human nature--and overcoming the negative aspects of it, such as envy. (Or, should I say TRYING to overcome them. :) I say this because, judging from my own experience, it's something that pops up at all ages and seasons. Or, at least, once we're old enough to compare.
When I was young, everyone had that poster or plaque "Desiderada" (sp?). I don't know if anyone remembers it, but I was so struck by the wisdom of the poem that I committed it to memory. One of the lines in it states:
"....Do not compare yourself with others, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself."
This was a good thing for a young girl to hold onto. Especially as I was approaching high school and we all know what goes on in that realm in regards to envy and competition. For a long while I didn't understand why people couldn't just be glad for someone else. But, of course, with age comes wisdom (hopefully!)...and I learned something about human nature over the years (good and bad). That being said, I've always been known to be Pollyanna-ish, thus, I've tried to change my own focus and the "envy strategy" mentioned here is one of the ways I try. Now, as I said, it doesn't always come easily!! Oh no. But just like anything else, if you do something long enough it becomes a habit!
Sorry to be so long winded (and I haven't even had my coffee yet!). Your very interesting question provoked an avalanche of thoughts. For that I say "Thank you"! I appreciate the thoughts spark!
Warmly,
Tracey