The Comparison Trap

I’ve written about this before, in saying comparison is toxic.

Comparison robs us of our daily joy. It’s easy to compare – from very young, we compare toys with friends,  we compare looks with magazine pictures, we compare gifts and skills and exam results. We weigh ourselves up against anyone in our life and anything in our life.

We look at each others complexions, at the shape of our faces, the length of our hair, the number on the scale. We look at each others possessions and houses and we evaluate ourselves in relation to what others have, as to whether we are better than them. If we have more or look better or are considered to have increased skill, we may consider ourselves a little superior. If we fall short of the standard we ourselves have set against someone else, we may feel ENVY!  All of us have at some stage felt a little jealous.

Nothing does more in luring us into the comparison trap than Facebook! We just need to log onto our accounts and we are instantly exposed to all our friends have. The very best of their photos are displayed in front of us – their lives  unfolding  – their best faces, their best family pictures – their best holidays – the best side of their homes. We scroll through their photos, all the time, sub-consciously, we are weighing them up against ourselves. We have fallen straight into the comparison trap.

I know what my life looks like. I know that negativity and some ugliness lurks in the dark corners of my home and some parts of my life. And I am not alone. The yucky stuff is in all of us – we just choose not to display it on Facebook. We put our best foot forward. It is for that reason that I don’t update my FB status with all that is good and happy and jolly. I don’t want to be false. I want to be transparent.

Everyone is the same. When you look at their lives on FB, please remind yourself that they face hardships, just like you do. No one is exempt. We all face difficult storms, tragedy, ill health and uncertainty. We struggle to understand it when bad things happen. We become miserable, have major relationship issues, argue, are discontent, climb financial mountains and do battle with lots of little daily frustrations. None, or very few, of those are scattered across FB. If some do choose to spew negativity across social media, they are quickly seen as horribly pessimistic and people don’t want to associate with them. They actually are more likely to be the honest ones. They are telling the truth of their lives and not harping on with a false negative life.

Facebook. The torrid home of comparison.

Think carefully before you compare your life to others. Forget about that.

From lifemind.com

The best filter through which to look at your life is via a Bible reflected lens.

Weigh up your life against words in the Bible, such as Micah 6:8

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Don’t compare yourself with what’s on this:

Compare your life, rather with what’s in this:

It’s a far better gauge as to what is right! Words from the Word will lead you down the right path!

Keep the smile going.

God bless you!

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂