Hello lovely ladies! Happy Friday! Today I want to talk about something that I’m sure a lot of you can relate to. I struggle with this all the time, but it tends to rear it’s ugly head the most in the summertime. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about: comparison. When the comparison monster appears it can steal all the joy and happiness from any situation. You’re having a great time and then suddenly it materializes. And just like that your good times are tarnished by a monster thought that raced across your mind!
There are a couple different situations in which I struggle with comparison, but like I said before summer is when it really hits. And I’m thinking you can probably guess why. Yep, that’s right! I struggle with comparing my body to others. I have always struggled with body image issues. Since having my daughter I’ve taken on a whole new set of comparisons.
I’m going to be completely honest with you guys here and share some things that have never left my head. These are the ugly thoughts that cross my mind when I compare myself to others, so beware. Like I said before, I have always struggled with loving my body. After having my daughter my body changed and has never really been the same. Which is to be expected! But I constantly find myself comparing my body to other mom’s bodies. I look to see how old their child is compared to mine and then decide whether I’m in a better or worse condition.
How ugly is that?!
I’m trying my best to get out of these mindsets. I don’t want to base my happiness on how I feel about myself compared to other people. And it’s just plain unfair to judge people that I don’t even know.
Maybe you don’t struggle with this specific kind of comparison. I’m guessing that you can relate in some way though. The comparison struggle can affect any part of life; relationship status, talents, lifestyle, the list goes on.
Here are five things that I think are important to take into consideration when trying to tame the comparison monster:
1. Notice when you’re doing it
What are you doing when this ugly monster rears his head? Try and pay attention to what your doing the next time you find yourself playing the comparison game. Maybe this is something you should do less of. I know for myself it’s social media. Scrolling through Facebook and Instagram often leaves me feeling crummy, so I try not to spend a lot of time doing that.
2. Find perspective
I’m sure you’ve heard some variation of this phrase before: Don’t compare the beginning of your story to someone else’s middle. You aren’t being fair to yourself when you do this. If you’ve only been working out for a couple months, you can’t fairly compare yourself to someone who is a professional athlete. Instead of looking at people further along in their journey and feeling bad about yourself in comparison, see them as an inspiration!
3. Honor your season
Like I said above we’re all at different stages of our journeys. It’s okay to use other people as inspiration of where you want to be, but don’t forget to be present in your life. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says that there is a time for everything and a season for every activity. You are in your specific situation for a reason. Lean into that. Take heart knowing that God has you where you are for a purpose, even if it doesn’t seem like it.
4. Remember that you are unique
Even if you struggle with the same things as me, the story of our struggles is different. Remember that you are different than everyone out there. That in and of itself makes it unfair to compare yourself to others. There are so many things that make us unique! Think of a couple unique things that you love about yourself and refer back to those when you find yourself in a comparison slump.
5. Remember who’s approval is important
I think often times when we compare ourselves to others what we’re really looking for is approval and acceptance. We think if we look a certain way, or have a certain item we’ll be invited to join the club. Well guess what?! We already have that! God already invited us into the club. And at the end of the day His approval is the only one we should be looking for.
It’s been said that comparison is the thief of joy and I truly believe that it is. The season that I’m in now is one of learning to love myself the way I am. I don’t want to let the ugly comparison monster stop me from having a good time with my friends and family this summer.
I challenge you to fight whatever comparison monster is in your life as well!
Do you have any tips for fighting the comparison monster? Share them below!
