Getting Back in the Box

I have a strange, and possibly highly unpopular, view on most American's lifestyle that I'd like to share.

First, I'd like to start out by saying that most of us are brought up from a young age to succeed. To strive. To make something of ourselves. To be better than the last generation. Plow our way into the future. Make a name for ourselves. Do I sound like your parents yet?

We start stressing about our children's school work while they are in pre-school. Are they doing as well as their classmates? Are they dressed as well as their classmates? Do they have the same supplies as their classmates?

When it comes to birthday parties? Our children want the same toys, clothes, and parties as their classmates. And more than often, us as parents want our kids to have better than the family next door does.

If a neighbor down the street gets a new car, everyone starts looking at their car and wondering if they need a new one. And this is true of lawnmowers, computers, golf clubs . . . just about everything.

As a nation, we are constantly stiving to out "do" ourselves and our neighbors. Constantly striving to "get out of the box" that we are born into. To suceed.

One of the reasons that America has such an issue with agressive drivers is this same phelosophy. When some one pulls in front of us we don't percieve it as a merge. Hell no, the son-of-a-bitch just cut us off! We are prone to either speed up and ride his ass or zoom around and whip back into their lane in front of them to show them. To show them what I don't want to even contemplate . . . that we're idiots?

In our jobs, we are never happy with the position and responsibliity we have. Even if we are capable of living off of it. We constantly try to improve and move "up" the ladder. Even though this requires more time away from our family and the things we might enjoy in life.

I too have been guilty of all the above. But what Steve and I realized at some point was that we were not "enjoying" our life. Where was the time to play? To spend with our kids playing ball? To go fishing? I've always heard the following saying:

You can't take it with you.

But I never really thought about it until a few years back. All of a sudden, people my age are getting cancer, dying, or being severlly injured. We had to ask ourselves, if this was the last day of my life would I be happy with it?

Not suprising, the answer was no. When we really looked at our lives we felt like we were on a treadmill that just kept speading up and it was all we could do to keep up. As we looked at our lives and our expectations we realized that the problem was that while everyone encouraged us to Go! Go! Go!

No one every told us when we could stop. There is such a push to suceed and be more, but no guideline supplied to know when you've reached it or how to stop when you do.

So I'd like to suggest that everyone quit worring so much about getting out of their box and think about getting back in it.

Would you not be happier and more content if you didn't have to strive to advance in your choosen field? What's wrong with where you are now? Is there really anything "wrong" with your current car? Is it worth getting yourself in a hissy-fit about a car pulling in front of you and your being a whole 2 minutes later to where ever you are going?

When you teach your child to reach for more and to achieve and be all they can . . .

Please remember to also teach them that life is not a race. The winner is not the first person to reach the end.