The duality of man. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but an old man shares with a young man. There are 2 wolves inside each of us. One represents all that is good, the other represents all that is bad. The 2 wolves constantly struggle and fight. The young man asks "Which one wins?" The old man replies "The one you feed the most."
However, don't we love feeding that wolf? Not the good one, but the worrying, jealous, bitter, angry, manipulative, deceitful - all bad wolf?
There are some tried and true solutions to take your mind off your troubles and get back in sync with what's good in life. Granted, the first is to recognize just how good you may have it based on what you DON'T have to deal with.
Are you dying? If not, proceed to the next space of "the game of living positively!"
Are you afflicted with a debilitating sickness? If not, move on to the next space.
Do you have a safe place to sleep? Yes? Next space.
Clothes on your back? Food in your belly? Keep going.
You can fill in some of your own basic questions. Many of us can make it a few spaces into the game. Then it gets really picky (or we do, don't we?)
Do you have someone to love - who hopefully loves you back and in the same way?
Are you satisfied in your career? For many, that means "Are you making enough?"
Are you living the dream? Uh-oh. This next level is getting harder. Who's going to win this game?
How are your relationships with friends, family, your neighbors? Dang! More problems!
How's your car running? Is it the best model?
Is your knee bugging you still after you tweaked it a bit yesterday?
What do you think about your hair color?
Do you REALLY have a good, personal relationship with Jesus?
Insert mind-blowing sound effect.
For some, their definition of success is "never enough." For others, life is so rich, free and simple that it "annoys others' demons."
A well-balanced, successful individual will "check all the boxes" but some of those boxes won't be what others agree with. Some are purely acceptance.
The proper comparisons are at the beginning of the game. The game doesn't really end until you do, but who said you had to make the same amount of "progress?"
Once upon a time, there was a person who was content. The end.
Get to that point, and life will be so incredibly full and rich that you'll have an extremely fat, good wolf - probably so fat the other will have to find someone else to fight with.