Am I Inspired or Am I Comparing Myself?
Not all that glitters is gold.
“Comparison is an act of violence against the self”.
— Iyanla Vanzant
Comparison — a word that leaves no room for growth. It creates a fog over all that we have achieved so far and the progress we have made. Everything goes blurry when we see someone else reaching the finish line before us or worse, if someone prefers not yours but else’s company.
If you have been to a beach and tried grabbing the sand with your fist, the tighter you hold, the more it slips away. Similarly, the more you try to be like someone else, you lose yourself and your uniqueness.
You Are Where You Are Meant to Be
No one has it better than you, or no one has it worse. People are just at a time and phase in their life where they are meant to be. We are just mere spectators without knowing the ugly side.
We all have an ugly side that’s kept hidden. No one wants to show how difficult it is to put a smile on all the time to hide the pain. So then, instead of focusing on anyone else, we need to look within and ask ourselves some critical questions to kill the moth-like disease I call ‘comparison’ –
Why Does It Hurt So Much?
Today, information is in our heads as fast as we blink. With one click of a button, we know everyone’s whereabouts. What we see then is something we don’t like. Maybe because it’s not what we expected them to achieve or we don’t have what they do.
But we need to ask ourselves, why does it hurt or cause me discomfort? Is it something I truly want? Will acquiring it make me truly happy? We all know that feeling of when we work towards something and then realise towards the end that it didn’t bring you the happiness you thought it would.
Am I Inspired or Am I Comparing Myself?
Is there a flaw in you that needs to be worked on, or is it just superficial? If you want something, are you willing to put in the work? Comparing with someone else without listening to your inner voice is dangerous and mentally exhausting. I am not saying that all comparisons are wrong. But there is a thin line between getting inspired and comparing yourself.
Why Should I Be Like Someone Else?
What makes you interesting is being you. Weird, funny, flawed in the unique way possible. Yes, we all evolve with time and what we firmly believe in changes with time. This transition is when people leave, and new ones enter. But those who leave have completed their journey in our lives, teaching us some of the most profound life lessons. It’s time to let go and be the bold and unabashedly shameless you.
Step back and observe. Do the achievements inspire you, or are you comparing yourself to someone? One takes you to a path of self-growth, whereas the other makes you question your self-worth. Because at the end of the day, it’s your life, and you have the steering wheel of life. Whichever path you take in the future, it will lead you to a dead-end called self-revelation.
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