“People have it so much worse than you.”
People probably do, and it’s heartbreaking to see millions of lives being lost, just because they lack what we have: Privilege.
From an extremely young age, we’ve been taught to never take what we have for granted, and everyone I know still stands by this “rule.”One thing we weren’t taught however, was how to handle the privilege when it comes knocking on our door.
I’ve seen multiple people - my parents included- feel bad about their success because others don’t have it as “easy” as they do. Working a 9-5 isn’t easy if that makes you feel better about yourself.
You have the privilege of living the way you do, because you worked hard when luxury was just a dream.
The pandemic was a LOUD reminder of this for people of all ages. They were reminded of their amazingly blessed life, and the fact that they could afford to survive without even stepping out of the house. A year passed by, and all we did was think about the fact that people lost their jobs, their family, their livelihood, to a virus, and we were untouchable, because we had MONEY.
I don't know how many people need to hear this, but somebody else’s lifestyle or living condition is NOT your fault, and feeling sorry for the not-so-fortunate isn’t helping them in ANY way. You didn’t go out of your way to marginalise any social groups, so you are not a contributor to their problems.
This piece isn’t invalidating the struggle countless people face, but it’s a shoutout to every human being who lets guilt ruin their happiness or success.
It’s OKAY to acknowledge your privilege, and it's OKAY to feel good about where you are in life right now, because no one else is going to do that for you :)