31. "There" is no better than "here".

Very often people are not satisfied with their current status. They are always looking over the hill and trying to find a better place or job or car. They find it hard to enjoy their present situation no matter how good it may actually be. They do not count their blessings nor reflect on all of the gifts they have been blessed with.

I used to have a neighbour who was a very sociable, upbeat kind of guy with a wife and two children living in a nice house in the suburbs. He was living my definition of the "good life", but Bob was never quite satisfied or completely happy. To enjoy life more, he first bought a small fold-up camper, then a small trailer, then a bigger trailer and finally a small motor home. He always needed to move up the ladder to a little higher level each year. 

In his work life, Bob was the same. He was a successful salesman for over thirty years, but Bob switched companies at least fifteen different times. One year he was a sales rep for roofing tile, then paper products, then pencils, then cedar homes. He always viewed the next job opportunity was going to be much better than his current job. And on and on! He was never happy.

Ultimately, after his children grew up and left home, Bob decided he and his wife should move to the Okanagan where he knew that life would not only be great, but better than it was in Calgary. Of course, you know the rest of the story. In a year, Bob and his wife returned to Calgary as they learned the hard way that living "there" was not really better than living “here".

Many people, often retirees, seem to not have learned that life lesson.  We often are influenced by others, by the media, and by magazines painting a wonderful picture of living in exotic places like Belize or Costa Rica or Victoria when people retire. Rather than be lured away by vague promises, it is more fruitful to count your present blessings where you currently live. You are usually near friends, family, familiar surroundings, trusted professionals and feel a sense of comfort and security. If you take a deep breath, count your blessings, and think of leaving them behind, I think, you will find "here" is usually better.