Comparison Is the Thief of Joy

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about our twin three-year-olds, it is this: Their favorite toy is the one their brother is playing with. And we can expect a meltdown when their brother does not relinquish it to them.

The toy could have been sitting at the bottom of the toy chest, out of sight and out of mind. But as soon as their brother has rediscovered it and starts to play with it, that toy is all they can think about.

It’s human nature to notice what others have and compare what we have. I am convinced that comparison is the thief of joy. That quote, commonly attributed to our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, also comes with a bit of advice: Focus on your own path.

It’s not just a phenomenon among toddlers. How often do we see adults coveting what their neighbors have? I hear from people all the time comparing Illinois with other states.

Hey, it’s true that Illinois does not have mountains or an ocean. But we do have amazing state parks, one of the Great Lakes, which connects us to the Atlantic Ocean, and our rivers which connect us to the Mighty Mississippi.

Looking at what other states have robs us of enjoying what we have in Illinois and being happy with our own path. Here are some of the things that I am proudest of in Illinois. I find people are generally happier when they see where we compare favorably to other states:

• If there is one thing that I like to do, it is saving money. We’ve turned one of the lowest-rated 529 College Savings plans in the country into one of the highest-rated programs, according to Morningstar, Forbes, Business Insider, Kiplinger, and the Motley Fool.
• More than 400,000 checks were received by Illinois citizens — yet another feather in our cap — when we completed the largest Money Match program in the country under our ICash missing money program.
• Illinois was the first state in the country to enact retirement security legislation that includes a state-administered retirement program, a program we are improving and relaunching as My Illinois Savings. Sixteen other states have since followed our lead.
• We were also the first state in the country to pass a treasurer-run infrastructure fund that is putting people to work in Illinois and making our businesses more competitive. Other states have since reached out to us to see how they can do the same and we’re always happy to help.
• Several states, including Indiana and North Dakota, are following the lead of our Illinois Growth and Innovation Fund that already has created over 20,000 jobs.
• We returned the largest single unclaimed property in the country at $11 million to the heirs of a late Chicago man, and $2.6 billion through ICash since I took office.
• We also have the largest and oldest Ag Invest program in the country, having guaranteed more than $6 billion in operating and long-term loans to help keep our farmers productive. Illinois is #1 in soybean production and #2 in corn.

We shouldn’t spend a lot of time comparing ourselves with others, but when we do (it is human nature, after all), I hope this list is a reminder that Illinois can innovate and compete with the very best.

Thanks for reading. Recently, the boys turned 3, opening presents and enjoying birthday spoils. I can report that they are still too young to stop wanting the shiny new toy in the hands of their twin brother.

Sincerely,
Michael