Day 7 of Lent 2020

The grass is always greener on the other side. Being a “Type A” personality and the firstborn in my family I have continually compared myself to others. It could be another’s looks, style, house, yard, classroom, even the way someone dances and I am comparing myself to them.

The problem with that is I am creating my own prison. Thinking that others are doing it better than I can make me spiral into low self-esteem and negative self-talk very quickly. I end up not using my God-given talents and I am not able to be the woman God intends on me to be when I compare myself to others.

So how can we change our thought process when we start comparing ourselves to others?

• Give yourself a pep talk. When you feel yourself starting to compare yourself with others tell yourself good things about you. What would you tell your friends if they were comparing themselves to others?
• Limit social media. It is easy to compare our lives to others because we want to put our best selves or sometimes exaggerate when posting on social media.
• Write your strengths down. Put them in a note on your phone so you can refer back to them when you feel the urge to compare.
• Focus on your journey. Where do you want to go? Maybe make a bucket list of things you still want to accomplish.

Through Facebook, I came across a fabulous book that I bought through Amazon Kindle called “Compared to Who: A Proven Path to Improve Your Body Image” by Heather Creekmore. I reread her book on a yearly basis. You can purchase it HERE. I highly recommend it if you are stuck comparing your body image to others.

Just keep our eyes on God who sees us as perfect and our world will be more joyful.