They say comparison is the thief of joy. Yet, it is all to easy to engage in the comparison game. We won’t judge. We’ve all been there, done that and bought the T-shirt. Whether it was a long lost friends summer vacation to Hawaii that made you want to leave your office job, pack your bags and hop on the next flight available or your ex partner’s latest Facebook post celebrating their new promotion, we’ve all succumbed to the burden that is comparison.
We are all human and it’s natural to compare ourselves with others, especially if said people are the same age or involved in the same industry. But know that your time will come. We are all on our individual paths and we will all have our chance to shine, so let’s be happy for others successes in the meantime.
The next time you are feeling yourself sink into the destructive mode of comparison, return to this page for a few words of wisdom.
Identify why you are comparing yourself with this individual. Have you been feeling a little low lately? Are you feeling stagnant? Have you been engaging in negative self talk? Usually, we tend to compare when we are feeling discontentment with our own life. Addressing our problems head on is a great place to start.
Know that everybody (yes everybody) has bad days. People usually post the best elements of their day, the happiest moments of their lives and those extra beautiful selfies taken at golden hour. We don’t know how many extra hours of work it took Stacey to get that promotion, we didn’t see all the roles that John didn’t book, only the ones he did and we don’t hear all the disagreements before that gorgeous couple took their engagement snaps. Remember that social media is a highlight reel and most likely, someone is looking at your profile and feeling pretty envious of YOU. It’s easier said than done but try to remember that one picture doesn’t tell the whole story.
Try to focus on yourself and your own life. Beyoncé once stated in an interview that her only competition is herself. When you are so busy focusing on your own life it doesn’t really matter what anyone else is doing. In fact, romanticize your life, love your life and seek please in moving forward every single day. If you are a better person than you were six months ago, then you have already won!
Speaking of winning, celebrate your wins. Yes, even if it’s as small as getting out of bed in the morning. Give yourself a pat on the back for any little step forward because life can throw us some curve balls! So whether you hit 1000 streams on Spotify, landed a job at your local theatre or finally finished that script you’ve been writing, achievements are always worth celebrating. Plus, any excuse for cake right?
Lastly, learn to be happy for others. After all, you want others to be happy for you right? The world is truly abundant and there is more than enough room for everyone to get their fair share. At the end of the day, what’s the point of achieving our goals and aspirations if we can’t share them with others. Be happy for others and they’ll be happy for you too!