You are a member of lots of groups.

Your country, your church, your town, your family, your civic group, your profession. Are you the best in some of those categories in someone's opinion? Besides your own? Are you a slacker? Or asking yourself "who wants to know?" Judging and comparing has been a hobby of many since the beginning of time. You often see the media picking someone to blame, someone to kick or compare. When an individual does it, many times it is not just a check list of the poor job someone is doing in some capacity or area of their life.

     It is to elevate the stellar job, the perfection mastery in their opinion job someone else is doing at running their own life.

     Often times Americans want to show another country how to be better, more cultured or civilized applying our own standards to a people that may wonder... Who asked you? Ignoring cultural history, not really knowing the people at all.

    

On your new year's resolutions, was being kind to others, accepting others, not judging others close to the top? Or listed at all?

The old expression of "if it is not positive, or constructive or helpful, keep the advice to yourself" will never go out of style. Closing your pie hole. Or examing why you open it. And any motives to make yourself shine brightly. Like Jack Horner who was pretty proud of the plum he plucked from the pie. Patting himself on the back. In an age of competition, kids being pushed to allow some parents to relive the glory thru them. And the scramble to be the best, the pick of the pack, best of the bunch, cream of the crop in anything...you have to wonder what drives the competition? Why is it so important? Is it all chasing the dollar to live the material good life? Or insecurity to prove to the world you are master of this, this, and this? To be envied? I was always taught if you are secure within yourself, just knowing you did a pretty good job was your own personal bench mark. Without broadcasting it to the world for accreditation, approval, credit.

Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers