Guest Opinion: Comparison is the thief of joy
Do you find yourself comparing your life and successes to those of others? Do you roll your eyes when you hear about his or her good news? Or do you moan and groan while you scroll through your news feeds with negative thoughts and questions running through your head — not just about others, but about yourself?
Before you know it, you’ve determined that you are a forever cat lady with no talents or chances of ever leading the life you want.
I’ve read many articles about the issue of comparison and have talked about it with close friends. At first it was comforting to know I wasn’t the only one who hiked the comparison trail, but then it saddened me.
Unfortunately, this is very common among women. We compare ourselves to others, and we listen all too often to the negative little voice that tells us we are incapable or not good enough.
One negative thought leads right into the next, and our inner voices turn into our own worst enemies. That little voice inside has the power to push us to the edge of the dark hole of comparison.
I cannot stress this enough: Comparison truly is the thief of joy.
I’m 100 percent guilty of having these thoughts and feelings, but we all have the power to put an end to our negative thoughts, and that power is not hard to tap into.
One thing that has helped me is practicing gratitude. Identifying the things in my life that make me happy, or that I take for granted, has made a significant difference in my heart and in my mind.
At the end of my worst days, if all I conjure up is, “Well, I woke up this morning able to breathe,” that’s still a step in the right direction. I would rather focus on one good thing than 100 insignificant things that bring me down.
You are you, and your life is your life. Don’t waste valuable time listening to the negative little voice tell you that you’re not good enough. You don’t want to look back someday and wish you had been more true to yourself.
Be kind to yourself. Set aside a few minutes before you go to bed tonight to focus on you. What are you thankful for today? What brought you joy? Reflect on the day and recognize the good things, regardless of how small or large they might be. Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest difference.
Jessie Hill is a social media specialist at Two Rivers Marketing. She received dual bachelor’s degrees in journalism and mass communications (public relations) and arts and sciences (politics) from Drake University, where she started her career in communications and digital media. Jessie is a League of Women Voters of Metro Des Moines board member, a Junior League of Des Moines member and a graduate of New Leaders Council Des Moines. She is currently working on starting her small art business, Petite Fierce Creative, and loves to spend time with her family, her boyfriend Tyler and watching HGTV.
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