Keeping Up With The Jones

Six years ago, I moved across the country from a city to a very, very small town. The immediate difference that my husband and I noticed, aside from having zero traffic and a thirty minute drive to a local grocery store, was the lack of keeping up with the Jones. What do I mean by that? It is the notion that you have to have the biggest house, the nicest furniture, the newest car, etc. There was a lot of that in the city. When we lived in the city, my husband and I always found ourselves focused on getting ahead as quick as we could so we could get rich and buy a big TV and a brand new car. We would plan out what our next new prize was going to be and talked endlessly about how nice our house would look with it. We wanted to prove to the world that we were better than everybody and well on our way to getting rich.

When we moved to Virginia, we immediately got back into that mindset. We bought our third house and worked to fix it up to be as fancy as we could make it even though we didn't exactly have the money to do so. Once again, we had to prove to the world that we were bigger and better than the other people our age because we had fancy, nice things. It took us no more than a year to realize that no one cared. In the country where we live, there are no billboards to remind you that you need to go out and spend your money on the next cool thing. It's just farms and laid-back people. And these people couldn't care less if you lived in a barn or a mansion. They are just friendly and happy in life. They wave to you when you when you drive by them even if you have no idea who they are. In the city, I never had that happen to me. If I waved to a stranger I would stop them in their tracks and they'd give me a funny look for waving at them. 

As time passed, my husband and I started to see life differently. We stopped caring so much that we drive an older vehicle and that we don't wear designer clothes. It was as if a large curtain that had been blocking our eyesight was removed and we could really, truly see what mattered. We began to see that all those things we had spent money and time on were really just a waste and would never really make us happy. It was almost as if we were telling ourselves that we would never be happy until we had the biggest house and the nicest car. But sadly when you get that big house and nice car you will find that it doesn't make you happy. My husband and I learned a valuable lesson through this experience. Being in the country has helped us to see that we were all wrong about happiness. And we were not truly happy by seeking to have the materialistic things in the world. 

Now, when it comes to a purchase, we save for it and think about if we need it first before buying it. It is a very different approach from how we did things before. We have realized that there will always be those people in the world who look down on us for not wearing those designer clothes or being caught up in materialistic things, but we are the ones who are really happy. Not them.  

Talents

It puzzles me every time I hear someone say "I have no talents." And if you are one of those people then here is what I have to say to you. Everyone has a talent. What? EVERYONE. You may think you aren't good at anything, but it's just simply that you aren't looking for what you are good at. Sure there are those "born with talent" but that just means that one guy can run faster than you because he's more coordinated. It doesn't mean you don't have the ability to run at all does it? Nope, no way, you are wrong. You have a talent.

When I was young I loved the piano so much that I begged my mother to let me take piano lessons. She couldn't afford to send me until I turned twelve, but when I got the opportunity, I jumped on it. Even though I had all these friends who could whip out Pachelbel's Cannon in D and I was learning to play Mary had a Little Lamb, I still practiced as much as I could to catch up with them. Eventually I got up to their level and guess what? Now I have the talent of playing the piano. Did I always know how to play? No, I didn't. I learned by practice. This is how life is. If you want to learn how to do something, you simply practice. 

The way I see it is the sky is the limit. If you are telling yourself you aren't talented then you are refusing to give yourself the opportunity to be talented just simply by saying "I have no talents." You are therefore guaranteeing for yourself that you will never achieve more than what you are now. You will never progress to learning something new. You will just go on and continue to be who you are now. I am not saying that you don't still learn and grow as a person through other experiences. But a talent helps to define who YOU are. Some people are more musical, computer oriented, crafty, social, etc. We are all different and that is what makes being in this world so fun. We all have a purpose. 

So why should I care if I have a talent? Why am I even reading this stupid post eh? Well, I'm not sure really except for the fact that your talents could make you more money if you pursue a particular talent for a career. Or it could help you serve others when they need a hand with something. Or they could just simply help you feel better. You will realize that you are somebody instead of just an average Joe. Progression and accomplishment can be the biggest reward in life. To be good at something, to have any kind of specific purpose at all is the best medication for depression or low self-esteem that I have discovered. And it works, I promise. So find a purpose. Find your talent and you will be an all around happier person.