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I look at their photo on their Web site, and they look so young. I feel a little guilty about the pleasure and inspiration that I often get in reading their posts. After all, shouldn't wisdom come from people who are older and more experienced (like me)? Can they really dispense sound advice when their smiling young faces so clearly say that they've never suffered? |
My book club had this debate recently. We had read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.
| One of our members felt highly resentful that someone like Rubin, who had a good life and was already quite happy, would presume to embark on a project to be even happier and to share it with others. The rest of us rather enjoyed her light-hearted approach to improving on what was already pretty good. I appreciate people like Rubin who have the right balance of dispensing good information and advice without pontificating or taking themselves too seriously. (And I despise sports announcers who don't seem to realize that it is, after all, just a game.) | 
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I have great admiration for people who have suffered tragedy or hardship and don't (like my book club friend) resent those who haven't. People like me whose lives have gone along pretty smoothly feel strong twinges of guilt when we see the misfortunes of others, particularly our friends and relatives. And I confess to being a bit superstitious as well, muttering "there but for the grace of God go I."
It isn't my fault that my life has been more fortunate than others. Certainly, I've worked hard and been careful, but so have others I know who are not so fortunate. I hope that my good fortune makes me both empathetic and generous. And yet, I think I'm still entitled to strive for improvement, to seek enrichment, and read advice about how to relish each moment and make it a little better. You never know how long the good moments will last, so why not live them to the fullest?
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