No matter how many times I think I’ve conquered the struggle of comparing myself to others it rears its ugly head once again! With the risk of sounding dramatic, I’m going to come right out and declare that comparing ourselves to others can be deadly. Yep, I said it-deadly. Do you think describing it as deadly seems too strong? It’s not. Comparing ourselves to others can prevent us from sharing our gifts and talents with others, the things that make us unique, and therefore killing anything of value that we might bring to this world.
Recently, I was rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to London from my company. Out of a company of 80,000 plus women I was one of just a few hundred invited so being part of the group meant I had done an outstanding job. To say it was a bid deal would be an understatement!
While the trip as a whole was wonderful, much of the time I was there, I was being bombarded with thoughts that I wasn’t really as worthy of being there as the other ladies. Nagging conversations floated around in my head like “she’s so much better at business than you” and “she’s such a great leader. It’s too bad you don’t lead your team the way she does” and “look at her, this is her 3rd reward trip. She knows what she’s doing. This will be your first and last trip for sure!”
Comparison had wormed its way into a celebratory trip. Instead of embracing the fact that I had gifts and talents, and that those gifts and talents had earned me a spot on the trip, I felt like I was slowly being consumed by a parasite called COMPARISON!
On the long flight home I was able to put all of the comparing I had been doing up to the “light” and see how wrong it was. By the time I landed back home I was once again filled with joy about the trip and confidence in myself. Here’s what I came up with:
COMPARISON IS ALWAYS UNFAIR
Because you are comparing the worst against someone else’s best, it’s always going to be unfair. You’re picking out something that you perceive as the worst in you and putting it up against somebody else’s best. Do you see how those are never, ever fair? The “worst” in you to the “best” in them. There will always be someone who is more talented than you in some way or another, so comparing yourself to them is setting yourself up for failure.
COMPARISON ROBS US OF TIME
Comparison robs us of precious time. There are 86,400 seconds in a day. We only have one life to live, and every day and every second is precious. We should never spend time on something that is as useless as comparison!
YOU ARE UNIQUE
You’re too unique to compare. There’s no one else like you. No one has had your successes or your failures. No one else has your gifts, your talents, or your purpose. NO ONE. NONE. ZIP NADA. You are one-of-a-kind.
COMPARISON PUTS THE WRONG EMPHASIS ON THE WRONG
You’re focusing on someone you have no control over. Redirect your thoughts onto the person you can you control-you. Keep your eyes in your own lane and keep walking your unique walk.
COMPARISON CAN BREED DISCONTENTMENT
When we start to resent somebody else’s success, their looks, their talents, and their gifts it can eat you up inside and hurt no one but you.
COMPARISON IS STEALS OUR JOY
Comparison will get us to focus and complain about we don’t have instead of finding joy and gratefulness in what we do have.
Bottom line. Focus on you and your gifts. Focus on being your authentic self. Focus on bringing value to others. And above all, focus on loving those around you. You have a lot to offer the world.
