My Standards Are Too High

My wife always says to me that my standards are too high. She says that I am never satisfied and that is why I am so hard on myself. Perhaps it is because society and peer pressure places so much value on pushing forward and trying to get ahead all the time; being happy for what we have can often be construed as laziness. The thinking is that once we are satisfied and content, we won’t work hard to get ahead. Instead, we will become complacent.

There is always more money to be made, a bigger and better house to buy, a flashier car to drive, more muscles to build or weight to lose.

Recently, I have taken stock of my life and looking for the positives and for being grateful for every little thing. 
I have realized that there is much for which we can be thankful. I have been smelling the roses.

Retirement: I have a long way to go before I can retire. However, there are many people who are having difficulty making ends meet, let 
alone have funds for retirement. 

Debt: I am frustrated that I have debt.  There are people with families that declare bankruptcy and have trouble putting food on the table.

Career: I worry about not getting ahead in my career? On Tuesday I received a call from a long time friend who said that he was laid off.

You get the idea.

You see my point. We always tend to focus on what we do not have rather than reflect on what I do have. It is really humbling and very easy to fall back into the trap of my own ego.

Do you take enough time to reflect on what you’re thankful for when it comes to your finances?

What are the things you’re most thankful for these days? Please feel free to share on the Blog whether money-related or otherwise.