Pretty much whatever you are going through, you can find someone who has it worse. When you find that person, suddenly your pasture looks greener. As a caregiver for a dementia sufferer (DS) I am well acquainted with patience, compassion, and listening. Not an expert in those skills, but well acquainted. I realized that I can use these skills to help others beyond my DS and give myself a change of focus for a bit. I recently found in chatting with an old friend that compared to her daily trials, I had much more straightforward choices. My pasture is greener than hers right now. It is not necessarily that I have easier circumstances, mind you, but I do have easier choices. All I have to do is be patient, compassionate and listen to her and to my DS. Wandering verbally through her pasture was actually refreshing for me because learning about what she has to face makes my issues look manageable for the time being.