Resentment

#31

Friend,

Resentment.

Just the word itself is heavy. Writing it feels like a slog.

But carrying resentment is downright grueling. You know it because you’ve carried it around. And it causes you to be downright weary and exhausted.

A friend told me the other day, “You can’t have resentment without comparison.”

And I think that is true.

• We compare our reality to our projection of someone else’s beautiful life.

• We compare our worst day to our own nostalgic best day.

• We compare our worst features to a conglomeration of other’s best features.

• We compare what “should” be with what is.

My friend went on to say, “The opposite of resentment is gratitude.”

I like that.

What if instead of noticing all the things that I don’t have or used to have I focus on the gifts of the day and what I do have today?

It’s weird when I carry gratitude with me, it doesn’t weigh me down. It’s like a balloon with just the right amount of helium. It lifts me and causes everyone who sees it to smile.

Love,

Aaron