In today’s culture, it is nearly impossible to ignore “success.” We are bombarded with images of celebrities, megamansions, exotic sports cars, private jets, and extravagance. Our social media feeds are filled with perfectly crafted photos of avocado toast, beach-ready bodies, impeccably organized homes, and sunsets framed in far-off locales.
The problem with buying into this idea of success is that it is fake. It is a vapor of an idea that you can never actually accomplish. The closer you seem to get, the further it moves from you.
It is discouraging to look around our own home, life, and dinner plate and compare it to what we see all day, every day.
It is discouraging because we are comparing ourselves to someone’s photoshopped snapshot. A highlight reel of a good day. A professional photograph in a staged environment. Or, we compare our beginning to someone else’s middle. An equally discouraging comparison.
Not only is comparison is the thief of joy, but also:
- Relationships
- Intimacy
- Friendship
- Satisfaction
- Pleasure
- Creativity
If you must, maintain comparison in the periphery. But you are better served to define your own strategy and blaze your own trail. Copying someone else will always land you in second place.
They are not fighting your battles just like you are not fighting theirs.
This week, challenge yourself to step back from the comparison game. Take stock of what you have, the achievements you’ve made, the goals that you’ve set, and the blessings around you.
All the best,
-Shaun