We are constantly measuring our messy, realistic lives against other people's heavily filtered social media pictures and videos. And today, I want us to collectively eliminate that unhealthy comparison mindset.

Nobody posts photos of themselves crying over their failures or inadequacies, or videos of their struggles. They only post a photo of the champagne toast three years later, along with a couple of throwback pictures, to let you know they struggled at the beginning. You are comparing your Chapter 1 (the struggling, messy part) to their Chapter 20 (the 'I made it' part), and that is not fair to you.

Sometimes when you see someone win, your brain defaults to 'I wish it were me' Flip that script! Ask: 'What can I learn from their journey?' Cheer for them, and then get back to work on your own track.

This might sound cliché, but the only person you should compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday.

I want to leave you with this thought: you are exactly where you need to be at this point in your life to get to where you need to be next. Your story is unique, and only when you stop looking sideways at everyone else but yourself will you finally see the path that is perfectly laid out for you. The people you keep comparing yourself against are also battling their own fears. Their highlight reel is built on thousands of messy, imperfect takes, so instead of focusing on them, focus on your growth. Love yourself enough to stop comparing yourself to others.

Every time you open social media and feel that sting of comparison, I want you to close the app and immediately name one thing you are grateful for about your own life. Let's flood our lives with gratitude, not comparison.

If you have a topic or question you'd like us to explore, please don't hesitate to send me a message. I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me on (https://www.instagram.com/hearttoheart_with_jc?igsh=cjZ2Zjc3azM3aWhr) or send an email to [email protected])

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Thank you so much for taking a moment to connect with me. See you next Thursday.