Keeping Up With The Joneses
Image Source: Nathan Fertig (Unsplash)
"The thing about happiness I've found is it don't live in bigger houses." - Dan and Shay.
In the early days of our marriage, I was always concerned that we would never have enough money to meet the expenses. Judy always said that I worried too much, and looking back, she was right. This mindset added more stress to my occupational exposure as a firefighter/paramedic, resulting in insomnia. Several years later, I incurred a post-traumatic stress injury, and I would become unglued when the balance in the check register did not reconcile with what I thought should be in the bank. Why the angst? It is not like we were keeping up with the Joneses.
Keeping up with the Joneses, or the art of one-upmanship, is a belief that we must outdo another person regarding acquired wealth or material possessions. However, this belief extends beyond physical, tangible items into social media. Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok have become highly competitive arenas for putting oneself and one's offerings onto the World Wide Web. Business people, influencers, celebrities, and all others seek out "likes" and "followers" on their pages and postings. Please understand me: social media has added significant value to spreading the word about worthy causes for many organizations and individuals. I use these venues to share my written thoughts, and I leave them at that.
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However, what happens when expectations fall short—i.e., a person or group does not receive the perceived attention to a post or page as another person/group competing in the same market space? From what I have read, this can lead to increased stress levels, feelings of not being good enough, dejection, and depression. 2014, when I first signed up for a Twitter account, I recall there were accounts on this platform that would sell you followers for X amount of dollars. Therefore, be leery of individuals who have 35,000 followers. Yet, when we see this staggering figure, it can become the goal to aim for. Ugh!
Recall the false narrative I created about not having enough money, it was stressful. Judy and I downsized in our retirement years and moved to a new state. We aim to age gracefully, appreciate what we have, and worry less about everything else. If you create a narrative that you are not good enough, repeat the affirmation: "I AM ENOUGH." Spiritual mentor Sunny Dawn Johnston shared the following words of wisdom that are apropos to this discussion when she said, "I am happy, thankful, and grateful for that which I already have." Remember this adage - "He who dies with the most toys wins" is untrue because you cannot take them into life beyond this earth.
In a world where everyone tries to keep up with the Joneses, Dan and Shay's Bigger Houses suggests otherwise; take a listen. Until next time -
Namaste,
Tim
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