Are we all too selfish?

An article titled "Welcome to the Selfish City" (by Brigid Delaney) caught my eye today on the smh.com.au update. Being a Queenslander who moved to the "big smoke" four years ago to persue my dream of working in magazines, I immediately found myself associating this headline with my own feelings for Sydney at some times. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not bagging it out, in fact I love Sydney - I have grown so much, met so many wonderful people, had some of the best times of my life and found my soulmate all within the city borders. However, as I read this story I found myself nodding my head in agreement to many of it's downfalls.

According to 53-year-old British author and psychologist Oliver James, who has written a book called Affluenza (studying how much people measure their self-worth by what they own, how they look and where they live), Sydney has a bit of a "'f--- you, we're rich' type thing."

Yes, there are the Paris Hilton wannabes who flock to Bondi Beach (and indeed Paris herself just recently flashing around her OTT silver Louis Vuitton arm candy), the families up to their eye balls in debt to get "ahead" in the property market and put their kids in childcare, and the chained-to-the-desk office workers who are desperately trying to climb the career ladder and who choose their friends based on the benefits they can bring.

James believes that people who gravitate towards capital cities and high-powered jobs are a "self-selecting group of people", many of whom "are made to feel worthless as children, who are now competing viciously with each other". While I can't agree entirely with this belief (I had a great childhood!), I can definitely see the competition factor!

But what I do know, is that none of these material posessions will make anyone genuinely happy. I feel sorry for the girls who need to spend hours on their hair and make up to make themselves feel better about their appearance, the people who have worked so hard on their career they've missed out on finding someone who makes them truly happy, and those who feel lost and are seeking purpose in their life while trying not to be left behind. "Constantly comparing your lot with others, especially those who have more than you, is not a prescription for feeling safe," Jones writes.

And so my thought for the day is: Realise the good things in your life and let the other worries melt away. Help someone, not for your own gain, but to bring some sunshine to their life. And remember to smile : )

Notes on Glossy Paper