Comparison is a natural human tendency and is one of the ways that we measure ourselves; we try to get a sense of how we are doing against how others are doing.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—it all and depends on how we relate to it. In fact, comparison and jealousy can show you areas where you need to start fully participating in your own life.
Most of us use comparison negatively, to only turn on ourselves and feel like we are losing. This addictive pattern can get triggered anytime we see others who have what we think we want.
One option is to observe our envy and use it to dig deeper. We can say to ourselves, 'OK, what this person has is something I would really like to manifest in my own life. Now what do I need to affirm or what actions can I take to bring me closer to it?'
Ultimately, negative comparison is the lazy man’s approach to life. When you think, 'Other people have something and I’ll never get it,' you give yourself permission to not do the inner and outer work required to have it.
If you have a tendency to use comparison to feel like you are somehow losing, you are holding the remote in your hands and you have the ability to change the channel. It’s a choice that’s available to you.
The minute we compare ourselves negatively, we reinforce a part of our brains that tells us we are less than or that we are lacking in something. Of course, it’s a part of the human condition to experience the feeling that we are not enough. We are all unique individuals and have our own life path.
One reason why it is hard to break this mindset is that we rarely compare ourselves to the people who have far less than us. But if we want to overcome the negative comparison cycle, the number one tool is called 'radical gratitude.'
When we are redirecting our thoughts from what we lack to what we have, we can start with our most basic needs.
We compare ourselves to people who we think have better jobs, better looks, better love relationships, more success. And sometimes we are right—the grass may be greener on the other side…. but, really, who cares?
And more importantly, do you really want to put your energy into what other people have, rather than putting all that focus in creating your own life? Once you start to see the comparison habit as a distraction from your life—and the person you can become—you may feel more willing to redirect your thoughts and focus on your unique gifts.
When you dwell on what other people have, you’re putting energy into their life and ignoring your own, which derails you from your own destiny.
What we forget during times of comparison is that what is ours will find us if we trust and if we are true to ourselves.
If you catch yourself, don’t judge yourself. Observe what is going on and tell yourself 'There is that bad habit again.'
Courtesy: www.thriveglobal.com
