Have you ever wondered why we compare our lives to other people, especially ones we’re familiar with?
Does being more comfortable make us feel more accomplished with our personal lives?
The Perception people create can either serve as your biggest motivator or it can ultimately lead to your downfall. Either YOU use IT or you can let it use you.
Today, it’s almost impossible to not get distracted by everyone else’s life. In addition, social media makes it more unavoidable.
It’s in our nature to be curious of our peers, family, and friend’s current situation. Sometimes, we just want to catch up with people and see how they’re doing. On the other hand, we are trying to compare our life to theirs.
Despite all our blessings that we should be grateful for, downing someone’s situation makes us value our lives more. Yet, the real question is: are we truly happy with ourselves?
I understand that it’s frustrating knowing that one of your classmates may be a little ahead of you right now. Seeing them working in the corporate field, or watching a colleague travel on vacations, moving into their new apartment, or driving that brand new 2019 Mercedes-Benz doesn’t make it easier.
Seeing other people's success affects our thought process. Makes us re-evaluate our life.
What aren’t I doing right? Why can’t I get a salary job if I’m educated?
Of course, other people’s success inevitably makes us feel like a failure, which usually leads to worthlessness and a state of feeling “lost”.
The craziest thing is that we forget that everyone wants to appear to be doing well; Perception is critical today. We’re unaware that they may be experiencing their own daily struggles.
That car they are flashing all over social media might be a rental, that monthly rent might have them struggling - living cheque to cheque, or they may have everything in the world and are beyond miserable.
You never know what someone may be going through.
We can’t allow ourselves to be misled by these perceptions because, it will only result in wasted time, energy, and unnecessary stress. Constant exposure on your social media feeds will only increase this stress.
Time is limited and can’t be wasted at any moment, especially in this new year. You’ll never be able to achieve any success being mesmerized by someone else’s milestones.
Instead of worrying about what the next person has, manage that time to improve yourself. Identify your niche and improve your craft. Master it. Exert that same energy towards accomplishing your goals.
The main thing that we all tend to forget is that God created us to be individuals. He gave us our own paths, own lives, our own stories.
We’re each supposed to live differently and face our own experiences and challenges. Doing the same things won’t allow us to be unique. Embrace it.
More importantly, be grateful for all the blessings God has given you.
Sometimes we don’t realize how blessed we are and are unaware of how much worse life could be. Occasionally, we all tend to succumb to this level of selfishness.
However, if you just focus on what you want to do in life, develop a plan to achieve your goals, while being humble, the sky is the limit.
Doing so will result in consistent achievements, constant growth and most importantly, true happiness.
Lastly, whenever you do witness other’s success, use that as fuel to grind harder than ever before. Use it to lift you up, not bring you down. Remember, if they did it, there’s no reason why you can’t either.
And always remember, make adjustments, not excuses.
About This Author
Tariq Abdul is a poet & writer from Atlanta, GA. He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Georgia Southern University. He is working on releasing his first non-fiction poetry book, "Broken Graduate", which details his personal experiences as a college graduate. Abdul assumed transitioning into an adult was going to be easy until he was hit with harsh reality. Stay tuned for his book release date & future projects.