Comparing myself to other people

I am a unique individual. No one can be me except me. I have my own part to play in the story of the universe, and it cannot be told by anyone else. If my life is so important and it’s important for me to embrace my individual identity, then why do I find myself constantly comparing my life to those of other people? Why do I measure my successes and mistakes against other people’s? Why do I feel like such a fair life when looking at some else’s accomplishments, even though I have some of my own? Why does my mind put me through this kind of torture?

Comparing myself to other people has been a struggle for most of my life. Growing up I often found myself looking to other people and how they led their lives as a way to live my own. I falsely believed that there was something wrong with my life, and that in order to make it right I had to live like someone else. I did not see the true value of my individuality. I put myself through a constant contest with others who didn’t even know that a competition even existed. It was a nightmare to say the least, and the remnants of that night continue on today.

Being in my mid-twenties I am no stranger to a comparative mindset. It seems like the younger you are, the easier it is to compare yourself to others. Your teens and twenties are times usually filled with constant changes in both your personal and professional lives. And with those changes you become aware of the people around you and the changes they are going through as well. With the rise and domination of social media in our world, we are constantly being bombarded with what is going on in other people’s lives. We see people who are getting married, people having children, people getting new jobs, and so much more. It is enough to drive anyone just a little bit crazy, especially those of us who are not going through the same changes at the same time. We start to feel a sense of inadequacy that lowers our self-confidence and causes us to devalue our self-worth. It is a wretched cycle that makes you feel like there’s no escape. But what if there is? What if we can live in a world where we’re not constantly comparing ourselves to others?

It is not a practice that can be mastered overnight, but I do believe that we can learn to not compare ourselves so much. As a creative, I know that it feels nearly impossible not to live in a competitive mindset when creating something. But when we let go of that mindset, we can actually find ourselves being more creative than ever before. We no longer have to be tied down to what others thinks about us or our work. Instead, we could freely create to our hearts’ desires.

This phenomenon can also be true when it comes to our lives in general. When we stop focusing on how our lives compare to other people’s lives, we become free to live the way we want to. We no longer feel bond to a set standard or expectation, and can be free to be more of who we want to be. The art of not comparing yourself with others is one that will give you the strength and freedom you need in order to have a good life. It may not solve all of your problems, but it can help with a lot of them. Everyone is a unique and valuable individual and should be able to live their lives in the ways they want to. There’s no point in trying to be exactly the same. The world would be very boring if that was the case.