We’ve done it at one time or another. It just happens. Before you realize it’s happening, you’ve sized someone else up and compared yourself to them and decide that your either inferior or superior.
We compare ourselves because of doubt, self esteem, and insecurity. We also compare because we feel lack in some area of our life. Humans are competitive and have the desire to be the best, the prettiest, the smartest, the most talented, and the list goes on. We have a fundamental need to evaluate ourselves, and the only way to do that is in reference to something or someone else.
It’s an unpleasant way to live life and here’s why: most of the time we are going to end up completely miserable and constantly feeling inadequate. We end up feeling like we’re not enough when we are so enough.
In the age of social media it’s hard to not compare. The beautiful pictures of the perfect home, the new house being built on the shores of a lake, the Christmas tree that is color coordinated right down to the packages and the bows, the flower pots that are overflowing with blooms. It’s all there, staring back at us in a perfect state. It’s the best of the bunch.
What is never shown is the broken marriage, the overdue bills shoved into a drawer, the bank account that doesn’t have a penny to spare. If you could peek behind the curtain you would find life’s struggles, strife, sadness. It’s all there behind the veil, in that place we keep hidden from the outside world.
Another contributor to our comparison woes is the instant gratification of likes and comments that we get from social media. We’ve become so enamored with a silly “thumbs up” icon that when we don’t get it we feel dejected and let down.
If we’re constantly comparing ourselves to others, it’s hard to see the abundance in our life. When we’re always feeling like we’re missing out on something it’s hard to feel grateful for what we do have. But what if what we have right now is enough? What if who we are right now is plenty? Look around you – you are enough and you have enough.
The Universe is working in your favor. If we constantly feel like the world is against us, that’s what we’re going to attract. The truth is there’s always going to be someone ahead of us and someone behind of us. Once we stop comparing our journey to others, we begin to see that our journey is just fine.
You are enough. You don’t need to be like everyone else; you just need to be more of yourself. You’re exactly where you need to be, and you’re doing a great job at it.