We all may compare ourselves to others from time to time. It can be easy to check social media and think, "Wow, they have such a great life. I wish I did too." But when we continually do this and measure ourselves by the results, it can leave us feeling upset, sad, or even worthless.
One way to avoid the pitfalls of comparing ourselves to others is to compare ourselves to ourselves. How do we do that? Well, think about where you were 3 years ago or 5 years ago. How have you grown? Have you grown in your way of thinking? In your relationships with others? How about your knowledge at school or work? We all grow daily, although we may not recognize it. We learn from other people as we move along in our lives. We pick up tidbits of trivia from friends, we attend trainings at work, we take new classes in school, and we read new articles (like this one). In some way we expand our learning on a regular basis.
Focus on ways you have grown intellectually and psychologically over the past several years. What have you learned? What do you treasure? What would you still like to learn? These are the wonderful aspects on which we can focus - how we want to grow ourselves. Comparing ourselves to ourselves can be a wonderful exercise. Give it a try!