After speaking to some friends and reading a lot of twitter comments lately, I see that a lot of people feel down about themselves and very isolated when they compare themselves to other people. And I realize that EVERYONE has felt this way before…. no one is immune to the comparison monster.
In running your own business (and in life I suppose), it’s nearly impossible not to compare yourself to others. Some of this is healthy, sure. However, when the comparison monster leads you to a downward spiral of shame and self-doubt that lasts for more than a 30 seconds, it’s time for a reality check. There are so many talented people in the world, each with a different perspective. There is always going to be someone who has come before you, who has been in the industry longer, who has more credits to their name, all while looking better in skinny jeans than you do. It’s ok. They have problems and fears, and they too have felt inadequate in their lives, probably after looking at your website. And, honestly, unless you’re a jcrew model, everyone thinks other people look better in skinny jeans.
Along the same note, watching a colleague have a major success can be bittersweet. It’s difficult not to feel jealous or… unworthy. However, I honestly believe, (thanks to Eckhart Tolle), that if we want something in our life, we have to celebrate it everywhere we see it. If we want to be in love, we need to be happy when we see other people in love. If we want success in our business we need to sincerely celebrate our friends and colleagues when they have success in their businesses. We can’t deny someone else’s success and then expect such things to come to us. Basically, if we aren’t happy for people’s successes, then no one will be happy for ours. You get what you give.
With that said, your real friends will always be happy for you. And the people who aren’t are probably energy-suckers in general and your time is precious. On an ending note, what I try to remember is that no one is better than you and you are no better than anyone. We all work the best when we have a team around us that supports us. That’s it for somewhat sappy life thoughts today.
Onward! (the photos of the ducks were taken outside my apartment)
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