Is Wanting Better than Having?

When we want something, we dream about what could be.

When we have something, we realize fully what is.

Cornell University recently did a study which found that stuff doesn't create satisfaction, but experiences do. Those behind the research say that stuff is easily compared to that of our friends or neighbors or relatives, meaning that we're only happy until we see someone with something better that what we just got. Experiences, however, are unique to each of us...and, therefore, more satisfying long-term.

With TV's or cars or jobs, we tell ourselves a story about what having those things will be like - forgetting that, once we have them, the story will be over. Reality kills the dream.

With experiences, the story comes afterward...and lasts forever. Climbing a mountain, skydiving, taking a trip to Disney...those are memories that last far beyond the events themselves. And, often, those memories get better with time.

I bring this up less than a week after learning that I didn't get the Chicago Cubs public address announcer job.  From where I sat, that job looked really cool. And, if I were to simply focus on the fact that I didn't get the gig, I would be miserable.

However, if I look at my audition process as an experience (rather than just a means to an end), it's impossible to be too disappointed. I sat in the booth at Wrigley - twice. I met both the owner of the Cubs and the President of the team. I shook hands with Ernie Banks. I worked my way from 1 of 3,000 to 1 of 4. There's no doubt that my grandkids will one day hear the story.

While I would have taken the job if it had been offered to me, I'm beginning to think that maybe I got the best of both worlds: the story of the experience, without the reality of the job itself.

I think it's important for all of us to remember that somebody will always have a bigger house or a better job, but they'll never have experiences quite like ours. Stuff is fleeting. Stories are forever.

A "Dream" Job

For the past few weeks, I've had the chance to live every little boy's dream. What started as a half-hearted video audition on YouTube has turned in to a once in a lifetime opportunity to be the public address announcer for the Chicago Cubs. Right now, there are four finalists - and I'm one of them.

I've been to Wrigley Field twice in the last ten days, each time sitting behind the microphone in the press box and announcing fake starting lineups to 40,000 empty seats. Empty or not, the experiences have been nothing short of amazing. Walking where the infamous Harry Caray walked...sitting where the legendary Wayne Messmer sat...looking at a field that Babe Ruth played on...it's surreal. I even met Ernie Banks yesterday!

Everyone (especially in the media) is calling this a "dream job"...and it is. Honestly, what could be better than watching baseball every day for a living? But the thing about dreams is that they often leave out a healthy dose of reality. Dreams tend to forget about the immutable laws of the universe.

Maybe you're chasing a dream too. Maybe it's a job or a hobby or an experience. I don't know what your dream is...but I do know what a dream isn't.

A dream isn't a dream if it causes your marriage to fall apart.

A dream isn't a dream if your kids rarely see you.

A dream isn't a dream if you're too exhausted to enjoy it's benefits.

A dream isn't a dream if money or fame or influence is the only upside.

A dream isn't a dream if it distracts you from the calling that God has truly put on your life.

Personally, I'm trying hard to think rationally and not be blinded by the bright lights and big names at Wrigley...but it's hard. As a friend of mine said recently, "I'm too biased to pray for you right now." (Something tells me he wants free tickets.) But, regardless, I've been challenging myself to honestly think and pray through what my "dream" really looks like. And I'd encourage you to do the same.

Jeremiah 29:11 says this: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God has big plans for you and me. And, my hope is that we're walking close enough with Him that our dreams and His plans line up.

Get Your Poo Off of My Shopping Cart...Please

New research has recently discovered that 74% of all grocery store shopping cart handles have what I call "bathroom bacteria" on them. About half tested positive for E. coli as well. And while these statistics completely gross me out, I've been surprised by how many people seem to brush them off.

It can be argued that exposure to bacteria is healthy for your immune system. It can be proven that these germs are on your phone, your shoes, and your doorknobs too. It can be said that relatively few people get sick from going to the store. And those things are all true.

But, somewhere in the midst of all that truth, it seems that we're overlooking the real problem: most people are not washing their hands after using the bathroom. Unfortunately, rather than focus on what we all should be doing (namely hand-washing), we've instead decided to justify why it's perfectly acceptable (and even healthy) to have fecal matter on nearly everything we touch.

That seems a bit backward, doesn't it - accepting the results rather than changing the behavior?

Though, I suppose, I can relate. How often do I ignore what I should be doing, and instead focus on ways to make myself feel better about not doing whatever "it" is.

For me, it's speeding. I regularly go a few miles an hour over the speed limit. And then I justify my lead foot by saying that everybody does it, it's quicker, it's not hurting anyone, etc. But the point isn't that everybody else is going 70 miles an hour or that my speed isn't hurting anyone. The point is that 65 miles an hour is the law.

Maybe speeding isn't an issue for you, but maybe gossip is. Or lying. Or stealing. Or cheating. And maybe, like me, you've found yourself justifying those actions because the results don't seem to be negatively affecting anyone else. But, again, that's not the point.

The point is that there's poo on my shopping cart...and that's never okay.