This Short Sentence Has Stuck With Us for Years

A few years ago we came across this sentence that we haven’t been able to get out of our minds since...

You know when you read something and it just sticks with you long after you’ve finished the last word? Maybe it was a famous quote or the ending to a good book, but whatever it was, it made an impact on your life and you feel wiser because of it.

Well, we came across this Tumblr post years ago and it resonated so hard with us:

"Sometimes I drink too much vodka or eat 3 servings of macaroni and cheese in one sitting, but by far the most unhealthy habit I have is comparing myself to others."

Powerful, right?  

And aren’t we all guilty of that sometimes? We see people who we perceive have more than us, or have things we want, and we get jealous, angry, sad, depressed, etc. We see people with “body goals” or “relationship goals” or “house goals” and we feel less than because we don’t have those things, or at least not in the capacity we wish.  Unfortunately as a society, that’s the power we unknowingly give social media. You know, we love the opportunities that come from social media (travel, talking to people from all over the world, meeting y’all), but we would be lying if we said we didn’t feel the negative effects of it from time to time. 

But thinking about comparing yourself to others (whether negatively or positively) as a habit, and an unhealthy one at that, is a powerful realization. A habit is something that is obtained over time, not necessarily something that happens out of the blue, and this one in particular can be very dangerous to your mental, physical, and emotional health. When you compare yourself, you sometimes don’t see all the beauty your life already has in it. You only see what you don’t have, and that can become toxic, and well, unhealthy.

This statement is one we try to remember often, especially during this time of year when the pressure of the holidays can sometimes feel overwhelming. It’s important to remind ourselves that the only person we need to be comparing ourselves to is the person we were yesterday. No one’s life is perfect, despite what you see on social media, and everyone is going through something, whether they choose to share it with the world or not. Keeping this in mind from time to time might make life a little more enjoyable and, without a doubt, a little healthier, too.