Comparison -The Instant Recipe for Unhappiness

comparison is the instant recipe of unhappiness
We have become used to getting everything instant these days. There’s instant food, coffee, instant information on the internet; practically everything is “instant”. There is one more thing I would like to add to this list- The instant recipe to become unhappy i.e., comparing yourself to other people.

All the decisions a person makes, are based on their life experiences and their approach towards life. Everybody has their own pace to success and they have their own way of dealing with the things coming their way. 


There is so much that goes on behind a person’s accomplishments, and one cannot know the real deal of behind the scenes just by looking from the outside. So it doesn’t make any sense that you compare your life to someone else's. 

The measure of your success should be related to only you. Take into account from where you have started, how far you have come and where you wish to go. If you don’t value what you already have, you’ll not be able to grow further.

You waste a lot of time and energy in comparison. It results in frustration, sadness, and hopelessness. You suddenly seem to dislike your own life. 


And you don’t even realize how much time you waste in these worthless thoughts and feelings and unknowingly, you drive your energy to unnecessary and unimportant things. 

Instead of wasting your time in jealousy, focus on loving yourself and appreciating yourself. Don’t bother comparing yourself to anyone else. Focus on making yourself better.

If you keep comparing yourself to other people, you will never be happy no matter what you achieve in your life. There always be someone better than you, better than the person you are comparing yourself to, someone better than even that person and so on.

So when you get stuck in the cycle of comparing yourself to other people, you make a hole in your ‘happiness and self -contentment jar’; no matter what you do, you’ll never be able to keep it full and enjoy the “fruits of your labor”. You’ll keep running after things you don’t have and never be happy with the things you have earned. 



the cycle of comparison
'The cycle of comparison'
When you view yourself as a “loser”, you lose sight of your end goals and your motives in life. You misjudge your true potential. 

You could be completely happy with your accomplishments, the progress you have made in your life, thinking that your hard work paid off, but the second you compare it with someone else who has it better than you-you instantly become jealous and unhappy. 


It just takes a second to forget all about the hard work you have done, the efforts you have put in your journey and you end up shifting your focus to all the negative things in your life. Just that one thought of comparison is enough to make you miserable and hate your own life.

Nothing good is ever going to come out of your comparing yourself to other people who are completely different to you and whose lives are different to yours. By constant comparison, you are not only making yourself miserable, but you may also end up resenting the person you are comparing yourself to. 

Where’s the good in that?

Be happy for yourself and also respect your contemporaries’ accomplishments. Never put yourself down. Never insult yourself by neglecting all your hard work and dedication that you put in to make your life better. 


Channel your energy into appreciating yourself, your achievements and your endeavors instead of whining, jealousy and endless comparison.

The choice is yours. You can go down the path of endless futile comparison and be miserable or you can be happy with what you have while trying to improve even further.

So what are your thoughts on this topic? What can a person do to get out of the cycle of comparison? 


Share your thoughts with me in the comments below.

Comments

  1. I mostI must also add to this, self love gives you the confidence to accept your self and not compare yourself with others. I love this write-up.

    http://dominikagoodness.blogspot.com.ng

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely! When you're happy with yourself, nothing else on the outside can bother you. Thank you so much for stopping by. :)

      Delete
  2. I am glad you have validated what I have tried to tell others, especially since the perceived happiness they have many times does not exist. And as you say happiness is different with everyone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes we end up putting emphasis on the wrong idea of happiness. What works for others may not work for you!
      Thank you Lois for taking out time to read. :)

      Delete

Post a Comment