Michael Kwan reflects on the things in life that matter most.
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This might come off as a humble brag, but that is not my intention. Honest.
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Something that has always bugged me is when people who clearly come from a position of great privilege and good fortune complain about how crappy their lives are. A recent example would be the Minecraft guy saying how he’s so sad and isolated, even though he has a couple billion dollars to go along with his multi-million dollar mansion. Or the Vancouver couple pulling in nearly $450,000 a year on part-time hours who are sad they can’t afford their dream home after putting their five kids through private school and paying for a live-in nanny. Woe is me. Cry me a river.
And then, I realize that I am one big fat hypocrite. I complain, albeit not always quite so publicly, all the time. Maybe it’s the Canadian in me (sorry about that).
I complain about how I don’t think I’m earning as much money as I think I am capable of earning, but being a freelance writer has been able to provide me with a reasonably comfortable living doing something that I largely love doing. We own our own home (with a mortgage) in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world. We never really struggle to pay the bills. And we can afford to indulge in a nice meal now and then.
I complain about how I may have missed out on some life experiences, but I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world, get a higher education, and make a few friends along the way.
And I complain about never having enough time to do the things that I want to do, but I have the treasured privilege of being able to spend as much time as I do with my infant (almost toddler!) daughter. That’s invaluable and I wouldn’t trade that time for anything in the world. Being able to go shopping in the middle of a weekday afternoon isn’t so bad either.
I really need to stop complaining about other people complaining too. Live and let live, right?
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Do I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place sometimes? Of course. Do I feel like there are areas of my life that could be improved? Sure. But as much as I complain, I need to remind myself to be grateful for the life that I have. It’s really not that bad. And I bet yours isn’t so shabby either.
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Photo: Flickr/Scott Granneman
Originally appeared on Beyond the Rhetoric. Reprinted with permission.
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Love your article, Mr. Kwan. If the wealthy people and corporations would pay their people a generiou wage and give us adequate time off to spend time with ourselves and our families plus stop raising the prices of goods and services (like real estate), then people would be a lot more happy and content with their lives. If you look at Denmark, the Danes are the most happiest people because they have a political, social, and economic structure that benefits society as a whole not just the few. And I agree with you that it get me angry how wealthy… Read more »