On comparisons
D: It just feels like everyone's doing better than me.
M: How'd mean?
D: They just seem to have nicer things, nicer lives maybe. I don't know, just everything.
Dear D,
I remember that feeling and how powerful it can be. Let's walk through it together...
The thing I came to understand is that the life you see is rarely their life as it really is. You see the highlights, a show reel. You can't compare your life with someone's highlights.
You never know what adversities they face and in equal measure you don't know what hand-ups they've had. You don't know what they've given up, what they've received or what it's really cost.
Reflect on what 'better' is; people usually think it means money. However, there are many things that make life richer. Those moments with a loved one, a movie night, a song catching you just right or maybe playing with your four legged friend. You can have all the money in the world and these things all feel exactly the same. Life is amazing that way.
Let me finish this off with something practical that helped me. We all seem to have a natural need to compare, so direct it away from others onto yourself.
Compare yourself now to yourself last month, perhaps last year. What have you improved about yourself and what can you improve. The only fair comparison is with yourself.
You won't always move forward, but life ebbs and flows.
Steady as she goes!
Yours regardless