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The thief of joy: How I am actively fighting against comparison

The thief of joy: How I am actively fighting against comparison

I am in a constant loop of feeling great about myself and feeling lightyears behind everyone else.

There is this weird pressure to achieve all goals that humanly possible at such a ripe age because it feels like one day it’ll be too late to do so.

But that leads to stress. And stress kills. (It also raises cortisol and makes you less attractive)

I am currently working to expand my therapy private practice, network with wellness spaces, develop courses, start a coffee shop and plan my other business ventures all while managing my friendships, family life, health, finances and sanity.

I get super excited. But then I see people who are already doing it all.

It’s funny because they probably felt exactly like me when they started. But how tempting to sit and scroll on my phone watching people live out my dreams. I’ve realized while this is motivating to some extent, it also pushes me back.

I do not want to keep focusing on what others are doing.

Sure, I love getting inspiration from others. I love learning from strangers. There is so much value in mentorship. But, I need to reframe it as a form of motivation rather than the dreadful comparison of falling behind.

So, I’m going to stop scrolling (until I find a better solution)

The more I look into other people’s lives, the less I have focus on my own. The more I consume other' people’s ideas, the less I am excited about my own. The more I listen to other people’s advice, the less clear I am about my own. I need to trust myself and dedicate my time to perfecting my craft at my own unique pace.

Here is to starting something new and doing it on my own terms.

I want to step into the most fruitful and joyful time in my life and the way to do that is to believe in myself and remember that what is written for me will unfold in a more beautiful way than I could ever put it together.

This article was authored by Elena Temelkova, a verified therapist in our network. Learn more about their expertise and approach below.

Headshot of Elena Temelkova

Elena Temelkova

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)Canadian Certified CounsellorMACP, HBSc

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