Comparison is the thief of joy

There’s no comparison between the sun and moon, they shine when it’s their time

A young child looks at the world with joy and abandon, and enjoys the moment or activity for what it is, there’s no overthinking, no comparing. As adults we need to rediscover how to find the joy in the moment without comparison.

Childish joy and abandon by Senjuti Kundu on Unsplash

I haven’t written here since the 25th November - mostly because I’d lost my way with my writing. Sadly it happens.

In reality, it wasn’t so much that I’d lost my way with my writing it was because I’d fallen victim to the big, ugly comparison monster.

The comparison monster is a mental monster that can negatively impact relationships and self-esteem. It can appear as healthy competition or harmless curiosity, but it can also consume motivation.

For the longest time I’ve written first for me and second for all those who read my words. And then Substack got under my skin and I started comparing myself to all those who have hundreds of subscribers and who ‘seem’ to have nailed their writing practice.

So I stepped away - I stopped reading posts, I stopped writing here.

And I discovered the reality - comparison is the destroyer of all that is important and all that matters. We all need to stop 🛑 comparing ourselves to anyone else, because it’s such a waste of time and energy.

Reasons why you should never compare yourself to someone else

🍀 Everyone is at a different stage of their journey and no journey is the same

🍀 No-one has exactly your knowledge, skills or experience.

🍀 Your story, your challenges, your life is what makes you who you are

🍀 All of you have something unique and wonderful that nobody else has

🍀 Look at how far you’ve come and what you’ve achieved instead

In my time away from Substack I started outlining my online Words for Wellness workshop which will kick off in March (I’ve only been thinking about doing it for months). I’m also writing Chapter 3 of my self help fiction novel and I’m journaling my morning pages again.

I rediscovered writing for fun, writing what matters to me, not what I think others want to read. I also discovered that algorithms cause more harm than good and I refuse to continue down that path.

Sometimes stepping away from something that we’re holding onto for all the wrong reasons is the best thing we can do for ourselves.

And the crazy irony is, I somehow got another 10 subscribers while I was missing in action, and without even trying.

Instead of comparing yourself to others, remember what matters most;

💖 Who you are means more than what you do

🌟 Being authentic and the best version of yourself is priceless

🦋 Compare yourself only to who you were yesterday

🦚 Focus on what you have, rather than what you don’t have

🌻 Celebrate the success of others and use them as sources of inspiration rather than envy

Be you and be proud of who you are and how far you’ve come, because you’re awesome!!

Keep smiling and stop comparing, Fi 🌻

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Thanks for reading,

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And if you're intrigued by the power to inspire change with words, you can find more of my writing on Substack or Medium