Your goal in life should not be to be someone else, stop trying to be
They say comparison is the thief of joy, and they’re not wrong. I, however, believe it goes farther than that. Comparison sucks the life out of you from the inside out, and given enough time, can make you a really miserable person. So why do we keep comparing ourselves to each other, even though we know the inevitable outcome? Because it is easier to notice your faults than your strengths. It is easier to admire someone else than ourselves. However, I believe this is a norm that we can unlearn, we just have to put in the work.
Everywhere you go there will be someone you could compare yourself to. Someone is better at their job than you, they have more money than you, thinner than you, better grades. The list goes on and on. This list is the reason we often struggle to be happy with where we are with what we have. When we are constantly looking around us for validation, we will never be satisfied because we will never be the best at everything. I think that the key to getting rid of the toxic comparison in your life is not to assume that you are the best, but to accept your weaknesses as you appreciate your strengths.
We all have gifts, and each one of us is going to excel in different ways. That is okay. We do not have to hate ourselves because someone has something we don’t. I promise you have something that someone else wants, too. I think this theory can be applied pretty much everywhere. I know that I am really bad at math. However, I love and excel in English courses. When I view myself in this light, it is so much easier to appreciate myself. The minute you stop hating yourself for things you don’t have, and start loving the things you do, you no longer feel the need to compare yourself to everyone around you.
I know self love is a task that is easier said than done, but I do believe we can all get there with some time. I don’t think self love is about loving every single thing about yourself and believing you are the greatest at everything. I think it’s about realizing that your strengths and weaknesses make you who you are. There is nothing wrong with being bad at something, because I know you’re good at something else. You are not made to be that other person, so stop trying to be. Life gets easier, and a lot more fun, when you kill off that comparison and embrace who you are.