Stop Giving In

If you’re anything like I am, you love social media.

Maybe you at least like it?

Maybe you admit it’s a guilty pleasure but you still aimlessly scroll through seemingly perfect beach bodies on Instagram and “like” purposely quirky and cutesy tweets on Twitter.

Admittedly, it’s hard not to want to live the seemingly easy, breezy, beautiful life you see on social media.

As we become more selfie-centric, we also become more obsessed with image. And of course, in theory it’s totally fine to want people to accept you and to want to be liked by the masses—in fact, it’s human nature.

But sometimes, it goes too far. We start comparing not only our vacations, dining choices, and hangouts, but ourselves. Our personalities. Our lifestyle. Our values, morals, and beliefs. Our success.

I know this, because I’ve done it. And sadly, continue to do it. I try my best to resist, because I’ve learned that comparing yourself to another person is always an unfair comparison.

No two people are the same. And although this is a generally agreed upon statement, start imagining others as complexly as you imagine yourself. Imagine them beyond what you know about them. Imagine them in experiences, in reasons, in struggles, and in thoughts, in tears and in laughs.

Don’t you have reasons behind the person you are today, and the values you hold? We all do. People do things for a reason. People obtain things, whether they be in the form of experience or material, for a reason. Everyone’s life experiences have shaped them into the person he or she is. One does not have the same life experiences as everyone else.

Now, you can choose to look at that as a detriment—i.e. by comparing the worst parts about yourself and your image and your life to the seemingly best part of others—or you can choose to look at your individuality as an asset. An asset that no one else in the entire world has.

Because as trite as this may sound, no one else in the entire world is you. No one. There’s one of you. You’re stuck with yourself for the rest of your life… try not to compare yourself to those around you. Realize your own strengths, your talents, and what you bring to the table. Celebrate your uniqueness.