16/10/2025
Comparison and how it takes you out of your authenticity.
I have this flip chart by, Pass Around The Smiles by Cleo Massey that has different topics for each page. The other day I did my flip, and it came up with comparison.
We've all heard the quote about "comparison is the thief of joy". This flip chart had some points that stopped me in my tracks. The first was that "comparing is just another way of controlling" and she goes onto explain that when we are comparing, we are really asking "why aren't I where they are" or "why is this taking so long?"
The first part about being controlling really surprised me as I haven't heard it mentioned like that, but it resonated strongly. How by looking outside of ourselves we get focused on a path that might not be for us. When we compare our journey to someone else's we forget we have had different paths that have led us to where we are now. It takes energy away from where we are heading when we compare our journey to someone else's. There is also an aspect around a general consensus about where we are actually meant to be. I believe we are where we need to be at exactly the right time.
When I honour that my path is unique then I can stop comparing where I think I am meant to be and follow what lights me up. I was having a discussion with a person in a new program that I am in and saying that being authentic requires us not to follow the standard path but the one that we are being led on by the choices that we make. Which is why they are all unique in truth one path is not better than another it is just different.
When we follow someone else's path because we think theirs is better, we step out of our authenticity and begin mimicking them and then often wonder why things aren't working. I believe it's not working because their path is not your path.
The other thing Cleo states on this page is the "it's likely that others have compared their life to yours" have you consider that as a possibility. How might that change how you view your life.
So, part of the path to authenticity is to remember to follow your heart, it is the true leader not some guru or someone you follow on instagram or Facebook.