“A key reason many people in our society are miserable, sick and highly stressed is because of an unhealthy attachment to things they have no control over.” – Steve Maraboli.
“No food will ever hurt you as much as an unhealthy mind.” – Brittany Burgunder.
Our OUTLOOK on life determines our APPROACH to life, and our APPROACH to life influences and shapes our OUTCOMES in life. EVERYTHING rises and falls on OUTLOOK. When you see other people’s advancements and progress and ALL THAT COMES TO MIND is how to outperform and displace them, then you begin to lose out on TRUE PEACE, REAL PROGRESS and PURE HAPPINESS.
“There are seven rules of a happy life: be humble – do not worry – do not settle for less – mind your business – work hard – play hard – be nice.” – Germany Kent.
It would be beneficial if you could establish in your mind that you are not here to compete with anyone. You’ve come to live your life, be happy, and express yourself. As a result, you must discover yourself and live your life with great hopes and dreams, in peace and happiness. It’s fine to push yourself to do and be better every day, but it should never be motivated by a desire or obsession to outperform or displace someone else or to prove a point to anyone.
There is great wisdom in these words of Jenny G. Perry, the wellness coach, “I am in competition with no one. I run my race. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone, in any way, shape or form. I aim to improve, to be better than I was before. That’s me, and I am free.”
There is no one like you, and you cannot be like anyone else. You must accept this truth in order to stop comparing yourself to others and to stop living your life in order to keep up with someone else’s life. When you stay true to yourself, you will always live at your best.
“Genuine self-esteem is not competitive or comparative. Genuine self-esteem is not expressed by self-glorification at the expense of others, or by trying to make yourself superior to everyone else or diminishing others to elevate yourself. Arrogance, boastfulness, the overestimation of your abilities reflects low self-esteem, even though we are often encouraged to believe the opposite. In human beings, joy in the simple fact of existence is a core meaning of healthy self-esteem.” – Nathaniel Branden.
Determine and concentrate on the things that are truly important to you. Make the decision to be happy. An obsession with keeping track of what is going on in other people’s lives should not lead to depression. It’s fine if others are getting married while you aren’t. It’s okay if others change jobs while you don’t, it’s okay if others travel around the world while you don’t, it’s okay if others change cars while you don’t, and it’s okay if others move to bigger houses while you don’t. Wish everyone well but know that what God has in store for you will come to you. Continue to dream, work, learn, and grow, and keep your sights set on achieving all your goals. In all things, however, accept this truth: YOU ARE NOT COMPETING WITH ANYONE.
“When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they lack wisdom and behave like fools.” — 2 Corinthians 10:12, AMP.
Trying to compete with anyone is a very exhausting and belittling exercise. It is also a source of limitation; you step into great power when you stay obsessed with your purpose and your potentials and how to maximize. Stop being negatively obsessed with the happenings in the lives of others, and never let whatever is going well for anyone make you look down on your efforts and your life. More so, that someone has a lot going on in their lives does not mean you are doing badly with yours.
“If there is a reason to be sorrowful, then there is a reason to be happy. You have only one lifetime, do not live your life in sorrow. Be happy! No matter what, only mind the lessons life teaches each day.” – Ernest Agyemang Yeboah.
Do not see other people’s progress as a source of opposition; instead, rejoice when others make progress in their lives. Allow the positive events and progress in the lives of others to motivate you to achieve great things in your own life. Rejoice with others for the events in their lives, but live a happy life knowing that you are in God’s will and program, and that everything is working out for your good. Reject any and all thoughts that want to drag you down into depression. Make the decision to live a truly beautiful life. You only have one life to live; decide to enjoy it and make it count.
“Please be happy. There are no scales to balance; we all can be happy. I beg you, please be happy. Your story exists, instead of the billions upon billions of other stories that could have been lived. Through whatever means, even though it can be hard, or even close to impossible, be happy, somehow, be happy.” – Michael James Payne.