When was the last time you celebrated your uniqueness? There is so much pressure to live the American dream, to have more than the next person, etc. But we are each different and we achieve things in our lives differently. I was taken advantage of recently, and what I came out of it with was "thank God I still have faith that someone may have honestly done something good for me." I am not as jaded as the person who tried to take advantage of me. There was no harm done in the end, but it made me appreciate myself.
I have friends that have good careers, some more boring careers, etc. But we have each earned our lives honestly. Not one of us had to disingenuously take advantage of others to make a living. Maybe we are the fortunate ones, even though none of us are rich! I can still paint, draw, bake, bead, hike, write and take walks outside. I have friends that walk on their beaches, that walk their dogs, garden, visit with their parents, are active with their clubs and these are all a part of the American dream, as well.
I was at a library last year and there were posters of Hollywood stars saying 'read'. Learning is free. I was so proud of them. Part of making this country great is educating yourself! If you are not the greatest reader there are programs to help. With all the pressure to compare ourselves to others or to own more or to join groups in which we have to subvert our basic selves, why don’t we appreciate how excellent and unique we each are?