Page 32 - Mousy Mouse Has a Bad Day

PARENT NOTES MOUSY MOUSE
TOPIC: Learning that the habit of comparing ourselves to others and over valuing the opinion of others can lead us to a habit of unhappiness.
Mousy Mouse is a typical youngster in her community, much like most children. She has all the typical characteristics of most children to include “comparison shopping.” In this story, comparison shopping means to compare ourselves to others, to unrealistic expectations and to over value the opinion of others. This comparison habit is very common in children and could be considered normal.
Most adults have maintained this belief habit to some degree. We often hear the phase “Keeping up with the Jones’s.” This means that we tell ourselves things like “I must have as good a boat or car or house or dress as so-and-so or I am a looser.”
Most adults will deal with this belief habit in various ways. If we can’t “keep up,” we may get depressed or spend ourselves into bankruptcy or drink to dull the bad feelings. If we are lucky, we tell ourselves that “they” are fortunate to have what they have and I am no less a person because of what they have. The reason that this type of thinking can be considered “lucky” is because it is rare.
The other type of thinking, the comparing ourselves to others, is so common and causes so many problems that the Ten Commandments warn us against coveting our neighbor’s wife, house or property.
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