“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
The Bible verse of Psalm 139:14 hits the nail on the head and lets people know that they are unique and powerful people, especially in Jesus.
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do,” adds author Brené Brown.
Comparison is a thief of joy, and people who feel empty tend to look around and think the grass is greener on the other side but it’s time to stay in your lane and shine right there.
According to an article, The Comparison Trap, from thriveglobal.com, it’s time to remember to live authentically.
“The comparison trap is the habit of measuring your life against others and is one of the most toxic behaviors we can engage in,” according to the article, which says that thinking others’ lives are better is an error and a “misconception fueled by jealous evaluation and often leads to stress and anxiety.”
Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms can be a killer of joy, especially when people are often mindlessly scrolling and seeing picture-perfect people who they don’t realize are airbrushed.
“When we focus on what others have or are doing, it takes away the joy in our own life and anchors our attention on what we think we are missing based on someone else’s life,” according to the article.
Don’t get this wrong, looking into someone else’s situation and being happy for them is different than comparison.
“Yet, when that happiness turns into jealousy, even the slightest, you are robbing yourself of your personal euphoria,” according to the article. “When we hear of a friend’s promotion, going into comparison mode is a colossal waste of healthy energy. The fact is, we do not know the full story behind that person getting the coveted title. Life always looks more glorified online, and that is something we need to remember every day as we look at social media.”
The best way to pop that bubble of comparison is needing to realize that other people’s “joys, dreams, and goals of others are not necessarily the pursuits we genuinely want for our own life.”
In other words, someone’s new huge home is a big mortgage that people looking from the outside in don’t realize.
“Big doesn’t equate to authentic happiness. Having what you really need does,” according to the article. “When we page through a pal’s vacation photos, rather than being envious of their experience, think about the total cost of the vacation. More importantly, are those people who look happy in vacation photos happy at home? When viewed from this angle, we are less likely to fall into the comparison trap.”
Remembering that we can choose which perspective we want to have in comparison, which one will you choose this day? Learning to be thankful for your life and be joyful in it, even the mundane things, can change your mindset and the day can look as unique as you.
“Living is being true to ourselves, regardless of how we compare to others,” the article adds.
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