Often, the biggest mistake we make in life is forgetting where we should place our focus. Instead of keeping our energy centered on our own happenings, we look to what’s going on around us. We start to become more invested in what other people are doing and how it compares to what we have in our own lives.
However, we don’t realise that the power we put into watching someone else takes away from what we should be putting into our own hustle.
Comparison is a dangerous thing. It comes from unhappiness in our own situation but comparing our lives to the people around us does nothing to change our circumstances. That can only happen if we harness the energy we pour into the business of others and redirect it into making something greater of our own circumstances.
Comparison is a vicious cycle where we measure ourselves at our worst against others at their best. And it never ends unless we make conscious efforts— such as these— to stop it.
1. Celebrate who you are and what you have.
Especially with the rise of social media and the Fear Of Missing Out, envy and comparison can pop up daily and make you feel as if you aren’t living the life you want.
Only you know how much you’ve worked to get where you are, so you’re the only one that can give yourself the kind of appreciation you deserve. Recognize yourself appropriately and encourage even greater things.
2. Turn that focus inwards.
What sparks comparison is unhappiness in your current life. Is that feeling valid, or does it stem from another problem? When you start to feel envy growing within you, ask why.
Are you wanting more out of your life? Are you feeling stagnant? Is it time for a new challenge? Comparison can sometimes drive us towards the things we secretly want. Turn that focus you’re wasting on others into fresh motivation to improve your own world.
3. Recognize that inferiority has no place in your life.
Comparison often breeds the worst emotions in us. Besides envy and hatred, it also encourages a sense of inferiority. The doubt we feel because of comparison makes us skeptical of our own capabilities and unnecessarily belittles us.
Something that brings so much negativity has no place in your life, so it’s important to identify it quickly and refocus that energy into something infinitely more productive: your goals.
The grass may seem greener on your neighbor’s lawn, but if you're busy tending to your own plot of land, you’ll never notice the difference. Focus on you and the rest will work out fine.
Courtesy of SteveHarvey.com