“Comparison is the death of joy.” ~ Mark Twain
Viewing our life on our own terms is the quickest way to be happy, but it’s also difficult. You may see someone who looks like they have it all together in a specific situation and assume that they have no pain or difficulty. You feel alone with the gravity of responsibility.
If you step back, you may realize that
everyone has a journey that involves a combination of suffering and joy. Comparison does nothing for you. It restricts the amount of healthy energy that you give out. And everything you give out has the potential to rebound back to you.
Still, those Facebook pictures of the happiest family on the block are hard to ignore.
The next time you find yourself comparing your life to another,
it’s time to meditate.
Begin by finding the constriction in your body (if you were comparing, there is bound to be some).
Notice that your body automatically feels smaller when you look outward rather than inward. It’s a disempowering place to be.
Let yourself notice why you feel the comparison is important. What does it boil down to? Go beyond the jealousy and the hurt and try to uncover the root of your own behaviour. Your comparison is likely the result of the fact that you feel like an intention of your own isn’t being met.
The person who brought out this reaction in you is a gift. They can allow you a more abundant mindset. They
can help you to grow.
Take a couple of breaths for yourself and your ability to bring forward what you want in this life. Take a couple of breaths for everyone else that is on their own journey, connected by the united experience of being human.
Set out into the world. Uniquely you.
Courtney Sunday from Toronto, Ontario
Courtney Sunday is a writer, yoga teacher, Pilates instructor and Thai massage practitioner. She teaches corporations in Toronto the fine art of breathing deeply, and travels too much for her own good. She likes to cook meals from scratch using ingredients from her garden, and would mill her own flour and make her own butter if she had more hours in the day. You can find out more about her at www.courtneysunday.com.
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