You know that neighbor you have, the one whose yard always look so nice? The flower beds and window boxes are always weeded and nothing ever seems to be wilting. The grass is always lush and thick and bright green and is never too long. Or how about that colleague that always gets the bonus? Even when you know she takes long lunches and talks shit about the boss behind his back? Or the friend that you work out with that loses weight faster than you? You know that one person who you compare yourself to all the time? That is always one (or two or ten) steps ahead of you? That one person that you want to be friends with soooo badly yet you hate at the same time because she always has what you feel like is just out of your reach? Because admit it or not, we all have that person. It might be someone you actually know and see on a regular basis. Or it might be some famous person. Or it might even be someone you see at the grocery store all the time but have never even said hello to. It could even be some imaginary person in your head, the one that you wish you were but fear will never be. Yup, we all have that person.
I am not sure why we feel like we have to keep up with others. I’m not sure why we are constantly comparing ourselves to people we are not. I’m not sure why so many of us try to “keep up with the Jones’.” I’m not sure why we put ourselves in a beauty contest, a bikini contest, a cooking contest, a money-acquiring contest, a whatever-thing-you-wish-for contest. I’m not sure why we believe we are supposed to be at a certain place in our lives just because of our age. Because, quite frankly, it’s all unrealistic bullshit. It’s silly. It’s not real. And what’s so funny is that even that person, the one you wish you could be like, feels the exact same way about someone other person. Because we all have that person. We are never good enough. Our lives are never good enough. And we always seem to want more, more, more.
But here’s the deal. Life is not a race. It is not a contest. It is not a competition. It’s just not. Because the final “finish line” is a wooden box in the ground. So it would be in everyone’s best interest to stop worrying about what the Jonses’ are doing and worry about YOU. Worry about all parts of you. Care for all parts of you – body, mind, spirit, heart, soul, and all of the other wonderful, amazing parts that make you you. We are each at a specific point and place in time for very specific reasons. The journey that you are on is just for you. Nobody else could walk it. Nobody else could handle it. It is yours and yours alone. Therefore, there is no need to compare yourself to others. Because each “race” is unique to each person. So comparing yourself to someone else is literally the same thing as comparing apples to oranges. Sure they are both round and they are both fruit but that’s where it stops. Stop comparing. Stop racing. Stop living your life for someone else. This is your time. This is your trip. Practice enjoying it.
