If you grew up in the ‘90s like me, you probably remember hearing Sinead O’Connor’s song Nothing Compares 2U on the radio. While the “you” she is referring to in this song is a lost love, the “you” I want to sing the praises of today is your glorious, wonderful self.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and I concur. As humans, we have to stop comparing ourselves to others. Comparison statements are disempowering because they cause you to forget that you are a unique, wonderful, complete person! When you try to compare yourself to someone else’s standard, you will ALWAYS come up short. The truth is that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, things they enjoy doing, and things they have to force themselves to do. This is part of being human!
There is no sense in comparing your outtakes to someone else’s highlight reel. We all have our off days and days that feel as if we are untouchable. This is where you have to be cognizant when it comes to social media. Most people only post pictures and videos that depict themselves and their family as a perfect picture of harmony. What you don’t know is how the rest of their day was. So, when we get sucked into scrolling through the constant barrage of pictures, ads, and videos on social media, we often condemn ourselves for not living up to the “standard” we see. My recommendation to combat this is to follow less people and more groups. Get away from the drama and the comparisons and fill your screen with positive quotes, affirmations, and motivation to celebrate you being you.
In conclusion, compare yourself to yourself. Period! It’s me vs. me and you vs. you. Be grateful and live in the NOW. Stop worrying about what you need to do 15 minutes or three days from now. And stop worrying about what you said to someone yesterday, whether they took it the wrong way, or may be mad at you. Focusing on the past or fretting about the future only causes anxiety. Instead, if you focus on the present moment (the one true gift you have) and talk about the things you are grateful for, the comparisons will stop. Why? Because you will realize how much you have to be thankful for, how much you accomplish every day, and how to celebrate your talents. I like to end every day by naming three things I am grateful for, three things I accomplished for the day, and three things I am good at. This never ceases to make me feel pride in not only my actions, but who I am as a person.
Charlie Miller is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and master basketball trainer. He has owned his business, ATTACK Basketball Academy for 6 years and is passionate about mentoring the youth of today. You can contact him by email at charlie@attackbball.com.
