most things that I am ungrateful about rest on my entitlement.
Ah, yes. I run into this challenge as well. I constantly forget how lucky/fortunate/rich I am. All the time. In fact, being on Hive has been so useful in helping me build relationships with people from such a diverse set of life circumstances that instead of being in my little echo chamber of sameness here in Australia (the way that web 2.0 social media also supports and reinforces) the more I really start to understand how truly lucky and wealthy I am.
Exactly, even if I wouldn't consider myself wealthy in my country, I know a lot of people who would appreciate what I have.
Just even having access to hive is a privilege.
I really appreciate you sharing this insight, Ophelia. 🙏
This conversation plus a few others on Hive of late have really got me thinking about this idea of being wealthy. For the longest time, I didn't consider myself wealthy because I've been comparing myself to other people who own big houses, drive fancy cars, own expensive jewellery and have built million-dollar businesses.
Somehow my focus has always been on what's missing from my life instead of what I already have. I don't know about in Nigeria (maybe you can tell me?) but in Australia there is such a focus on earning more, doing more, accumulating more. And the media messaging is so full of "not enough" messaging. As in, "You're not enough... until you have this diamond ring. You're not enough... unless you have a BMW or a Porsche or a Ferrari. Etc, etc, etc."
What I'm now coming to realise is that wealth is about the number of resources we have already access to.
So by my country's standards and the cost of living in Australia (a single person needs to make about AU $70,000 per year to live a decent life in any of the capital cities) and by comparison to my peers and my family I am not wealthy (if anything, only by proximity to Brad, my partner). But in comparison to most of the rest of the world's population, because I have access to heaps of food, clean drinking water, electricity, internet, education, safe housing, functioning roads, a car, and much more then I am - by that definition - most definitely wealthy.
Isn't it funny, how the amount of money in my bank account doesn't need to change at all - but rather the thoughts in my head and the focus of my attention - for me to feel different about how wealthy I consider myself to be?
Thanks for your honest reply, Ophelia. You've got me thinking and something important that it was really time for me to see in a new light.
Well in Nigeria, it is starting to be almost the same.
Everyone needs more and even as young people there is such a pressure to have a certain amount of money and there is always a comparison going on between you and friends.
I think it was one of the reasons I fell into depression because I was(am) unemployed and at the beginning, I wasn't the strongest mentally so everything just affected me.
Regardless of this factor, I have certain perks like having a roof over my head, having power, water, etc, which means I am comfortable.
I sometimes imagine what if I didn't have those also wouldn't it be worse.
Thank you so much also for the conversation, it helped more than you think especially as a young person who has been overthinking and over analysing.
Oh, bless. Thank you for sharing your experience and for saying this darling. I'm so glad that it helped.
At 40 I still overthink and over analyse a lot. But the more I practise mindfulness and being with what is the better the quality of my thinking becomes and the better my life becomes. And being on Hive and learning from people like you helps me to become more mindful, more aware of my privilege and more kind to everyone, including myself.
I'm so glad that in your not-currently-employed state you can still get on Hive. It's such an awesome place for you to use that clever and wise mind of yours. I hope that even as you gain any other income sources other than this platform that you continue to play/share/write on Hive as you are making this community a better place for being here, my love.
!LUV 😘
I don't think I'll ever leave hive, no matter what happens.
Thank you so much, have a beautiful day.
😘