Happy Sunday - this has been a great weekend, and I hope you're feeling as happy and refreshed as I am.
Today I want to talk about something that has come up quite a few times over the past week in conversations with my friends. That something: Comparison.
We live in a world where comparison and competition run rampant. It takes just a few clicks to fall into a hole of self-doubt, comparing our lives to those of people in our circles. Awards, engagements, weddings, new jobs, international travel - the list is endless and can leave us spiraling in a tornado of "what if's."
The other night I was with some friends and we were talking about how a high school classmate was spending a few months traveling the world. We couldn't believe her photos - the trip looked like a dream. We began fantasizing about our own travels - I shared my longtime dream to walk the Camino Santiago in Spain - and wondered how on earth this had been possible. "She's so lucky," and "I could never do that," danced through our conversation.
Just yesterday, I was on the phone with a friend who is doing the coolest work ever - working with international experts on a secret project that will undoubtedly explode into the world in the next year. This girl - an Ivy League graduate, fluent in a Middle-Eastern language and brilliant beyond compare - was lamenting about how other colleagues seemed to have it all figured out. She saw some of our mutual friends jumping into new industries and making marks in their respective fields, and felt like she wasn't doing enough.
Yet another friend, who is super interested in health, wants to step out and teach other women how to live better lives by prioritizing what really matters. However, she's been intimidated by the saturation of the industry and fears that she is too far behind.
PEOPLE. Here's the deal - 1. You're exactly where you're meant to be and 2. If you don't like where you are, do something.
Here's the thing: if someone else is doing what you want to be doing, their path shows that it's possible.
Think about it: They figured out a way to travel the world for a year, so can you.
They got into an incredible graduate program - why not you?
They're in a dream job, one you always thought impossible to attain - isn't this just reassurance that it's possible?
We don't need to fall apart when we see others living our dreams - instead, we need to embrace the truth that those dreams are possible because they are living them!!
Take yourself out of the negative side of comparison and embrace its opportunity. A rising tide lifts all boats. When the people in your circles succeed, it makes your success that much more likely.
The next time you fall into the trap of comparison, take a moment to express gratitude for that person and for the work they've done to open up that possibility to you. It's incredible how much we can learn from the people around us. Use the fuel of comparison to launch yourself into the next step, and never forget that you are absolutely capable of achieving your biggest dreams.
I'm rooting for you always!
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