Who are the Jones-es anyway?

The Jones-es

Is an idiom in many parts of the English-speaking world referring to the comparison to one’s neighbor as a benchmark for social class or the accumulation of material goods.  To fail to “keep up with the Jones-es” is perceived as a demonstrating social economic or cultural inferiority.

Why is it we waste so much time and energy on this phenomenon?  Why is it we care so much what the neighbors have?  Yet we waste so much time trying to emulate their lives of cars, homes, yards, and bank accounts.  This adds nothing to the value of our lives, it is time to start looking in the mirror and not through the window.

To live a life that is  authentically yours and not a carbon copy, here are some tips.

• Happiness in others success ~ Stop looking at life as if it were a competition.  The art of being truly happy for someone else’s success is hard to accomplish, but keep trying; it does get easier.
• Gratitude ~ Be thankful for all the blessings you have in your life.  Sometimes we want what others have because we take what we have for granted.
• Like minded people ~ Try to spend time with people who are content with their lives, it is contagious.
• No one has a perfect life ~ Don’t compare your life to others, it may seem as if they have it all, but everyone has trials and weaknesses just like you.  Nobody has it all.
• Generosity ~ This is the key to living a happier life.  Being generous doesn’t always mean handing out tons of money, it can be as simple as helping take a cart back in the parking lot or volunteering in your community.  The more you spend with those less fortunate than you, the more you will appreciate your life.

To choose not to keep up with the Jones-es is not a failure, it is creating your own true self.  Who wants to be like everyone else anyway?  Be unique!

Envy is the art of counting another’s blessings instead of your own.

Harold Coffin