When You’re Tempted To Compare Yourself To Another, Here’s What To Do

​Change is the only constant, they say!

Do you ever feel like you’ve been stuck in the same place, environment, or job for decades? Do you always look forward to things, situations, or life being different? How happy have you felt when a friend or a colleague achieved something big or portrayed a happy and successful life? It is human nature to compare and there is nothing wrong in it, because the grass always looks greener on the other side!

We keep changing with every week, every month, and every year. Do you do the same set of things that you did on the first day of college as you do on the last day as well? Do you remain punctual and reach office at 9:00 am sharp everyday, just like you used to during your initial days? Do you wear the same set of clothes and hangout with the same set of friends? Have you ever looked back to see if things have changed? You might not have, because such changes are normal and are bound to happen mostly because you were used to them. So why does it feel sad or depressing when you see others growing?

More than anything else in this world, it is necessary to grow inwards. It is only when you look deep down into yourself that you will realise that you have come a long way. Look back and reminisce your college days. Did you ever wonder you could make it to that college and have that particular lifestyle? Did you run for your dreams then? How different was it from now?

As we grow our aspirations become materialistic. When we were teenagers we used to dream about a fat pay check, a wonderful bungalow, a beautiful supportive partner, a satisfying job, and a life full of adventures and happy moments. Now that we are adults we get depressed thinking about how we are running out of time to manifest our dreams. We see others moving ahead in their careers and life and feel dejected about our lives. But do we even realise what we miss out on?

We forget to water the grass on our side. We fantasise about a dreamy life but we fail to manifest it. We fail to recognise the friends we have made and the life we have lived. We forget to count our blessings, and, most importantly, we miss out on the fact that we are growing too, just like everybody else.

You might look at somebody getting a good job. You might feel that the person now has a ‘settled life’. But you might not know the intricacies. You might not know the hard work they put in for months to get that job. You might be unsure about the number of times they missed a trip or a meet-up just so that they could work a little more towards their goal. You might not have seen them depressed, or doubting themselves.

On the other hand, you might look at somebody making the best of friends. You might see them put their heart and soul into things they really like. You might not see them achieving things on the materialistic front but at the end of the day you might see them just being happy and satisfied with the life they built around them. That’s growth for them.

Each one of us have different definitions of growth. The next time you find yourself comparing your life with that of another, look inwards and realise how far you have come. Count on your blessings and feel grateful because otherwise you would not be where you are now. Always aim to do big in your life and work for your ambitions. Do not run for a better paycheck, run for your dreams instead, but in the process make sure that you are running for being a better version of yourself, because that’s what will distinguish your yesterday from your today.