WHEN WE START COMPARING OURSELVES TO OTHERS because their path seems more exciting, more secure, easier, flashier – it would be worth asking ourselves:
~ do we really want the things for which we are envying them?
~ are we aware of all that comes with what they do, perhaps it’s: pressure, or time commitment, or schmoozing with others, or time alone or away from family and friends, or high energy and self-promotion, or solitary quiet reflection, or frequent rejection, or the hours they must keep, and so on?
~ do we actually want to do the things required to get to where they’re at? Perhaps it would require a great deal of study or training with a big time commitment involved in practicing and honing their craft or working in their field of study, and so on – would we want to do that?
Maybe we do, and if so it would be worth considering what steps we could take to work toward that, or something related – even in a small way. Perhaps we can allow this observation to be inspiration for ourselves.
But it’s quite possible that we want to WANT those things we’re envying in another. When it comes right down to it – we might not want to do all that’s involved in that exciting, flashier or even seemingly easier experience they’re having.
If we start going down the rabbit hole of – I’d be where they’re at if only I’d…
~ started sooner, learned about that before,
~ tried harder, worked harder,
~ listened to others’ advice,
~ spent more time on X, and so on…
… it’s important to remind ourselves that our journey is our own, and their journey is theirs.
We were not meant to start any sooner, to learn about it back then, to try or work harder or do anything differently than we did.
All the trials, tribulations, discouragement, mistakes made, side-roads and meandering pathways taken – they’re all part of our growth. It’s easiest if we accept them and embrace them and simply begin where we are right now.
Inviting each of us to trust that we’re exactly where we need to be: maybe that’s to be inspired by a person whose life seems more flashy and exciting and we might start down a new path, or maybe it’s serving to allow reflection on the ways we are happy with our life and path just as it is. ❤
(Photo by Matthew Montrone, pexels(dot)com)