Comparison, the thief of Joy.

But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.

Galatians 6:4-5

Some days are more challenging than most. I have had a few of those. Days where I have questioned why things come easy for some people and not for others. 

I was raised in a very competitive environment. This was always accompanied with comparison after comparison. Many times, I was asked, ' why can't you be like so and so?', don't you admire attaining success like so ......? Well, I was always trying to measure up to that standard. Anything less, and I had failed in their books.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”  Well, this is very much true of my childhood, my teenage years, and the earlier years of my adulthood.  I was unhappy and often felt inadequate.  I felt like I needed to be who these people wanted me to be if I was ever to receive their approval, their love, their acceptance. 

I wasted time chasing success by someone else’s definition and ignoring my own calling. 

This was not living at all. It made me begin to focus on what was lacking rather than what I had. or who I was.  I was dissatisfied. Nothing was ever good enough.

We often hold ourselves to unrealistic standards set by society, media, and social media. Nobody's life is that perfect. Even the people I was always compared to, were not/aren't perfect. That's because we may not be shown the challenges and struggles other people face.

Lately, I have been reminded that I need to run my race; the one marked out for me. To focus on being grateful for who the LORD made me to be, to be happy with my own successes. To enjoy my own journey. To find Joy, even in the little things. I don't need to look at another person's journey to determine my own Joy. 

All of us have incredibly personal needs and wants, just as we have our own personal privileges and obstacles. If we constantly compare ourselves to others and find that we don’t measure up, it can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. We may start to believe that we’re not good enough, or become overly competitive, thereby ruining relationships and losing sight of what’s important and meaningful.

I have forgiven and continue to forgive those that hurt me with their words, with their constant pressure. I know that they were not intending to cause me any harm. They truly believed that they were doing the right thing and were trying to guide me on a good path.

I have healed from the pain they inflicted on me. I have learned to stay focused on my own race. 

I have also learned to celebrate others when they achieve success. Other people's progress doesn't cause me any grief. Instead of jealousy, I have learned to be happy for others. It's better, it's not draining. It's freedom. It's Joy.