Must be nice

"Man, sure must be nice!" he said as I left early to head out on a road trip.

I bit my tongue and just smiled and continued on my way.

"Sure wish I could leave early and go on trips!"

In my head I screamed, "You CAN! It's just not a priority to you!"

Folks, there's something that has been brewing within me for a while and it's frustration at this idea "must be nice" whenever someone is experiencing something different than you.

It IS nice to be able to leave early from work sometimes.

It IS nice to go on a road trip.

Do you know what it takes to get there?

Work.

Planning.

Sometimes it means sacrificing for a long time first.

If you aren't willing for those things, you probably won't experience the perks.

Sometimes it is discouraging how little people see of the work it takes to reach something.

Leave work early on a friday, receive comments.

Those same people commenting didn't see you working an extra 3 hours monday evening, or not getting a lunch break all week, or working last saturday.... they just see the leaving early.

The first time we booked a trip to Europe, I heard those same comments.

The thing is, people didn't know that I planned, researched and saved for a year to go on that trip.

I worked my Pampered Chef business hard, said "no" to many things throughout the year because the trip was more important to me than dinner out, a new mixer, etc.

It IS nice to experience amazing things, that's true.

It is also not always as it seems though.

To the teacher, "Must be nice to get summers off!"

It IS nice, but are you willing for the college required, or to corral students all day everyday, meet ever-changing standards at the same time?

To the stay at home mom, "Must be nice to not have to work!"

It IS nice in some ways, but do you know how hard it is to coordinate, raise, feed and love kids with little to no sleep, pinching pennies to afford staying home, while trying to keep the house and have dinner ready for your man?

To the happily married, "Must be nice to have a good marriage."

It IS nice, but it takes work, compromise and lots and lots of forgiveness.

I could go on and on but you get the point.

Sometimes there is this assumption that if things are good, they've been easy.

Simply not true.

People work hard for their successes.

People commit to their relationships to make them work.

People often have to sacrifice one thing to get something else.

You've seen it before and it's true: You can afford what you really want.

This isn't just in regards to money either.

If you truly want to reach a goal, you just have to spend the time and effort.

If you want the good marriage, you have to spend the effort and time in each other.

If you want to travel, you may have to sacrifice some things throughout the year and save to be able to pay for it.

Sometimes "It must be nice!' is said in jest and that's fun.

Next time you look at someone experiencing something you wish you were experiencing, ask yourself, what did it take for them to get there?

If you are willing for whatever it took them to reach it, you can make the choice to do the same!

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