To Compare or Not to Compare

What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Does it seem that no matter where you are or what you are doing, often there is a comparison of some kind happening?  From the moment a child is born, their family and society compare them. It continues through life in school, at the job and in relationships. 

Not only do we compare people, we compare just about everything in our life and world.  We compare one sport team to another team, this diet with another diet, and even apples to oranges!  
 
Sometimes we get into a conversation, often a debate, with someone about who or what is the best.  You may even find yourself having an inner dialogue comparing yourself with someone.  Why do we do these comparisons?

Our world tends to be dualistic.  You are either right or wrong, good or bad.  Things seem to appear black or white.  Why does something have to be this or that?  What if there was something in between that was an even better option?

It is okay to look at two things, people, situations and compare them, but that doesn’t make one better than the other one.  This isn’t an “either or” decision.  It can be but it doesn’t have to be. 

Comparison can be healthy to help you see differences for what you do and do not what for yourself.  It is when comparison becomes obsessive and demoralizing, that it is harmful.  Comparison can hold you back.  It becomes a big waste of time and energy! 

This may be where you may have to change some of your beliefs when making comparisons.  You will have to be open to more than two possibilities of right or wrong, good or bad for what you are looking at.  There is so much more than what we know is possible for us.  As you become aware of looking at things differently, you open yourself up to a whole new world!

What if you looked at the best of both in your comparison and came up with an even better decision, solution, answer than deciding on either one.  What if you choose to view your world from a different perspective?  Instead of living in a black and white world, you added some color to your world. 
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You can use comparison to better yourself if done in a helpful way.  You can take your gifts and combine them with bits and pieces of what you perceive is great about someone else.  As you do this, remember though, you will never, ever be that person.  You can only be you showing up as the best possible version of you!

​Have you thought about comparing where you are in your life compared to where you use to be?  Look at where you started and all that you have accomplished.  Perhaps there is more you would like to accomplish.  That is a comparison that can be healthy for you.  You are comparing you to you! 

​A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it.  It just blooms.   Zen Shin​

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No two flowers are the same, yet each is beautiful and unique in its own way!  And so it is with you.  There is only one special, one of a kind, you!  Rather than compare yourself to others, look for the beautiful gifts that only you possess. 

​Thank you for adding your beautiful colors to the world!

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