I’m Happy for You (SORT OF…Not Really)

Today we are inundated with comparisons – pressure to keep up with the Jones’s. And society has a million ways for us to see what every one has and think about what we don’t.

Just think about, what do you do each day? Look at the outfit your coworker is wearing, check out her handbag and shoes and think, ‘wow, my outfit is outdated. When did I shop last?’

Or you looked at Facebook and saw the new kitchen renovation at your friends house or, in fact, the new house with ingrained pool and happy children splashing about. ‘Boy, my house is small and I certainly could use a new kitchen’ runs through your head.

Comparison after comparison. Are we content with what we have or always wishing we had more? Do you want more because others have more or because you need it? Come one, admit it, you probably don’t NEED more (in fact, I know for a fact that I need LESS in my home.) But….that laundry room organizer SURE would make life easier. (I’ll just PIN it for later!)

In her book I’m Happy for You (Sort Of…Not Really), the author Kay Wills Wyma, talks about how our electronically inundated world has allowed us to never rest from the need to compare and how this makes it even more difficult to become and stay content.

I found the book VERY pertinent and felt that it was talking to me. Though I feel that I love my life and know that I do not need more ‘stuff,’ it is difficult at times to not covet my neighbors kitchen gadget at times.

Wyma talks about her personal struggles with comparison, with pretty funny stories from her family actually, which makes the book fun to read. I feel that it really personalized the story and helped me realize that we are all subject to this comparison demon of today.

Wyma’s book takes the state of today’s comparison problem and puts it in perspective. It’s obsessive and almost unavoidable with daily exposure through media and social media. So what is the solution? Her bottom line – live your own life and don’t get caught up in it. Her book gives some suggestions on how to do this and how to be content with what we have.

Contentment is something that I have been trying to teach my children, instill in them, before they get too caught up in it. Though it’s common and typical for the teenage/pre-teen years, I think addressing it early is key. I think this book was timely for me and I love the stories and how Wyma made the reader feel that constant comparison is where society has led us and that we don’t HAVE to stay caught up in it. (But we aren’t alone if we have.)

If you are looking for a good read about a very poignant topic, I’m Happy for You (Sort Of…Not Really) is a great read that will keep you engaged and give you hits to steer yourself off the comparison street.

About the Author

Kay Wills Wyma is a blogger, mother of five, and the author of Cleaning House through which she has appeared on The TODAY Show, CNN, Glenn Beck, The New York Times, Focus on the Family, and more. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, she held positions at the White House, the Staubach Company, and Bank of America. Kay lives in the Dallas area with her husband, Jon, and their family.

Check out the author on social media: OFFICIAL WEBSITE, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon.

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this product fro review. I was given a copy of this book for my honest review.