Competition with yourself
WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE COMPETITION WITH YOURSELF AND NOT WITH OTHERS
Be yourself – and love it! Are you always comparing yourself to other people – unfavourably? It’s all too common for people to look at others, whether celebrities or people that you know in person, and wish that you were as stunning as they are, had their intelligence, or lived in a lovely house like theirs. Well, stop right now.
That’s a terrible waste of the wonderful, unique person that you are. Happiness really does come from within, and learning how to be content with yourself. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to do better, comparisons with others make you unhappy and feel inadequate. Instead, strive to be the best version of yourself that you possibly can. Possessions and looks don’t make us happy. What does? Having friends with whom you can be yourself and don’t need to put on an act, or enjoying the things that you do have. This gives you the capacity to be truly content.
Why comparing yourself with others doesn’t work
The problem with comparing yourself to others is that it sets you up for failure. You look at their perfect lives and convince yourself that if you only had their money or looks, your life would be better. This fails on two counts: one, that you are not them and won’t be, and two, that you don’t actually know what’s going on in their lives or in their head. They could be just as full of self-doubts as you are! Besides, their perfect lifestyle may be funded by borrowing, meaning that they’re in huge debt. The media encourages us to aspire to the unachievable lifestyles of celebrities, making us unhappy because we know that we’ll never experience the excitement of their lives. But why do we not dedicate our energies instead to achieving our own goals? Rather than dwelling on impossibilities, focus on training yourself to be content with your life, and working on getting where you want to be in life. That will lead to a far more fulfilling existence, as you will be giving your energy to more positive things than dreaming about impossibilities.
Live your own life – to the max
The fact is that you are the equal of anyone on earth. You’re just as worthwhile as the rich and famous that you may yearn to be like. Why put pressure on yourself and try to compete in a race that you need not be part of? You will be much happier within yourself if you stop trying to be like others, and instead work on building your inner contentment. While there’s nothing wrong with having ambitions and wanting a better life, our existence shouldn’t be about competition, but about enjoying our lives and finding true fulfilment within ourselves. We have so much that cannot be bought, if we only learn to appreciate it. So start today to value what you have in your life, such as family, friends, and your achievements. You have more than you realise!