I’m never going to be like you.
I could try and try with every ounce of my being, but I still would be a lesser version of you than you already are. I could put all of my focus into acting like you, talking like you, writing like you, being like you – and you would still be better at being you than I ever could.
I know that this seems like a silly thing to say because it seems sort of obvious, but I still think it needs to be said. So many of us spend more hours than we probably care to admit to comparing ourselves to others. We see that they do something well, and we want to do it better. And when we can’t, we beat ourselves up about it and tear ourselves down for not being better at ________.
I certainly have been guilty of comparing myself to others and feeling that I wasn’t measuring up. But you know what I have realized? Everyone that I have compared myself to would be an extremely watered-down version of me if they tried to be me. If they tried to write like me or think like me or act like me, I would always be a better version of me than they ever could. It works both ways, doesn’t it?
So wouldn’t it make sense then for all of us to stop trying to be someone that we aren’t and instead focus on simply being who we already are? Think about how much less energy we would expend if we went about our days just being ourselves. If we focused on being the best version of ourselves that we could be, it would still take much less energy than trying to be someone we aren’t.
The world needs all of us to shine and share our gifts. So the next time you start comparing yourself to someone else, thank them for doing what they do best: being exactly who they are. And then thank yourself for doing the same.
Jodi Chapman is the author of the inspirational blog, Soul Speak; the upcoming book, Coming Back to Life: How an Unlikely Friend Helped Me Reclaim My True Spirit; and the bestselling Soulful Journals series, co-authored with her amazing husband, Dan Teck.