“Comparison is …

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” -Theodore Roosevelt

It’s so easy to see the lives we live, the accomplishments we have or haven’t made, the way we look, or the people we are simply are not good enough. Without fail, this is the conclusion I come to each time I look at myself next to someone else. The truth is that there will always be someone above us on the scales we use to measure greatness or success. Growing up in a family full of runners had me constantly trying to measure up to my very athletic younger brothers.  I can remember my mom encouraging me to make each race about me improving my last time, and to let all my negative thoughts stemming from comparing myself to my brothers or to the other girls on the cross country team go. As soon as I was able to run my races for myself I was so motivated to do everything I could to improve. Comparing any aspect of yourself to others sucks the life out of you, dulls what is probably in reality, very bright and focusses all of your energy elsewhere. As a girl, Teddy’s wise words are probably some I should have written on my hand at all times as it’s nearly impossible not to long to be in someone else’s shoes every once in awhile. It’s also natural for humans to have that competitive instinct and desire to be better than the rest. With this in mind, take a step back. Strive to count your blessings rather than focussing on what you don’t have or what you aren’t, smile and know you were made to do wonderful things.