Unhealthy Comparisons

As we nearing Christmas, we’re met with the familiar annual trickle of uplifting, heartwarming adverts that show just how wonderful your world will be if only you would buy your gifts from a particular retailer. After several weeks of this I’m already feeling bad for thinking our simple, paired down family Christmas experience might just not compare and wondering how anyone can’t help but feel any different after two months of constant commercial brainwashing. It’s highly unlikely much will have changed in our world on Christmas Eve vs Christmas Day to make me feel much different.

I think I’ve always been one for judging myself against other people. It’s not healthy for me mentally or helpful for our family. It is however pretty much drilled into us by society through schools, grades and salary that we are raised to believe are the be all and end all of our self worth.

In more modern times, the ability to make comparisons abounds online in the form of multiple social networks (likes, follows, notifications, photos, subscriptions) which over time are tiring and yield no merit to me. For myself as a business owner, these comparisons bleed over into my commercial successes or failures, and how well other similar businesses appear to be doing based on what they share online. It’s important to remember that each of these is a ‘highlight reel’ of what one individual chooses to share with the world. Trying to live up to all of them would be impossible for anyone.

In short, I need to stop comparing myself to other people. Being myself is ok, switching off and being proud of my current successes will do much for my sanity and for that of my loved ones.