Have you ever found yourself in a state of comparison?
I know I certainly have through the years! And it's a significant area that I work with many clients on in their journey.
Ha, I remember back to when I was working in recruiting and started doing sales training for my teams. I would watch all the "BIG name" sales trainers and think, "who am I to be doing this," among several other choice phrases that were not at all kind to myself. (insert face palm emoji here!)
Thankfully, I kept moving forward and never let that inner voice stop me. And early on in my career, it would sometimes get VERY loud.
Unfortunately, as social media has grown, the comparison prevalence has also increased.
Excessive comparison can cause any number of issues, including:
Increased Anxiety
Depressive Symptoms
Negative Body Image
Self-destructive feelings
Low self-esteem
Heightened stress
It can also cause overall unhappiness in life.
Friends, YOU deserve to be happy and confident in yourself!
There is a natural state of comparison that we all do, BUT, and this is a big one; when you find yourself comparing, what do you do with it?
Are you letting it stop you from moving forward?
Or are you using it as awareness of what you would like to learn and grow from in your life?
How can you use it as an example of what you would like to do and remind yourself that you are not there yet but are working towards it?
When you find yourself comparing, try these three things:
At that moment, you may be criticizing yourself for things you think you aren't or what you don't have BUT, what about all of the things you are and DO have? Go to gratitude, appreciation, and thankfulness for all you are and have.
The person you are comparing yourself to may have worked very hard to get to where they are, whether in business, health, or life. Re-frame whatever noise is showing up for you and try showing them a "Good for them" type of comment.
Be honest with yourself. Are there things that you see in that person that you want? Perhaps they have a career you would love or the physique you want. Use it as knowledge to say, "That's my goal." then start looking at what steps it would take you to get there. Can you hire a trainer or coach to help? Is there a class or course you need? Take an honest look at what you are/not doing and get committed to the internal strength, and work to move closer to that goal.
If you are comparing yourself to anything on social media, remember that not everything you see is the actual/truth. With all the filters and embellishment, you only get what people want you to see.
Theodore Roosevelt said best, "Comparison is the thief of joy!"
Want help on the journey? Let's talk, https://calendly.com/jenzahari/30min​
Stay well! Jen
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