As you scroll through Instagram, your heart starts to race slightly. A ball wells up in your throat. You see fabulous image after fabulous image of people #livingthedream.
Your friend just got married and bought her dream house, plus a dog that looks like it was Photoshopped using a Pinterest image.
This random beauty influencer who’s 10 years younger than you just started a makeup line, landed a TV show, and bought a G-wagon.
Your high school frenemy flaunts her beach bod in photo after photo with products from brands that she’s promoting and clever headlines about how she just can’t live without the product #ad. You know she is making your monthly salary for every sponsored post that she does.
Meanwhile, back at the regular ranch, you’re feeling super basic. You’re so done and fed up with working your 9-to-5. You want to be the one traveling, taking #couplegoals photos, and Pinteresting your house.
“What gives?” you’re thinking. “Why haven’t I made it already? Why does it seem like everywhere I turn, everyone is successful and happy, and living the life of their dreams?”
This is why comparison is the enemy of happiness
It’s so easy to get caught up in the comparison game, especially in today’s social-media-driven world. We’re constantly exposed to everyone’s highlight reel on social media. The great moments, filtered pictures, and end results are all we see.
We have no clue what’s going on behind the scenes or what it took for someone to get to where he or she is. Playing the comparison game is a waste of your precious energy and life force.
You have to realize that you were put on this earth for a unique purpose; your life path is completely different from someone else’s. That’s what makes this great gift of life so amazing — no two journeys are the same.
Instead of focusing on someone else’s highlight reel, you’ve got to shift your focus to how you can fulfill your purpose and grow into the person you’re meant to be.
This is why comparison is the enemy of happiness – because instead of focusing on your journey and everything you have right now, comparison switches your focus to someone else’s life. See the problem?
You’re the only one who can give your gifts to the world. So shut off social media and start asking yourself the big questions.
“What am I supposed to do in this life?”
“Do I have unique skills that I haven’t shared with others yet?”
“What am I better at than anybody else?”
“What do I love to do?”
“How can I serve more people?”
The world needs what you – and only you – can offer.
With that said, if you genuinely hate your job and want to quit and change paths, there’s nothing wrong with that – as long as you’re doing it for the right reasons.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, remember this: Everyone has challenges and struggles that often don’t make it to social media. You might think others have a much better life than you do, but what you might not know is that the person you admire on social media might actually be facing similar challenges and struggles.
Social media rarely gives the whole picture, and that’s why it can be so damaging. So, if you find yourself comparing and feeling bad about your life, try unfollowing certain accounts – or even shutting down your accounts altogether! – and practicing gratitude for everything you already have.
