You and I have an innate need to compare ourselves to other people.

When you’re exposed to so many people who you perceive are better than you, and the gap between you and that someone else is big, you are more inclined to lose hope, stop taking action, and let your life slip into a state of unhappiness.

Why compare yourself to others? No one in the entire world can do a better job of being you than you.

Now that you are connected to so many people online it doesn’t take long for your mind to notice ways in which you compare not so favorably with others.

Be cautious when you compare yourself to others. You must understand that you are unique and singular in your being once you have grown up to be an adult. You have your own personality, character, values, and goals.  Your problems are also unique to your situation, be it financial, family, relationship, psychological and otherwise. Those are unique in the context of your existence.

You may have noticed, when you find yourself to be more skilled and successful than others around you, your body releases the hormone serotonin.  When you have that flowing in your body, you feel a sense of confidence and control in your life.

Also you will notice that the moment your mind notices someone who threatens your position or makes you look incompetent in comparison, your body will restrict that hormone. You start to doubt yourself and feel a sense of low self‐worth or self-esteem.

So what do you do to prevent this from happening?

Stop comparing yourself to who someone else is today and start comparing yourself to who you were yesterday.  You will find that you truly have grown by sheer experience that will help guide your life.

If you are in a sinking ship, you will find that no matter how small, even a safety tube or life jacket will look like a great jump of success and progress. The gain is worth a life, isn’t it?

I would like to sum it up with this great quote by Marcus Aurelius.

“How much time he gains who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does or thinks, but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy.”

Marcus Arnelius