Why don’t we recognize progress? Within our selves? Within our work? Within our family? Friends?

Or maybe you do, but more so in others than when you look in the mirror.

What do you think?

Is it because we are constantly comparing? Is it because we are constantly in competition with someone else when we don’t mean to be. For example, have you ever been on a treadmill next to someone else and you feel the urge to out do them?? Have you actually done it?? All the while the entire time they have no clue they are competing with you they are just on a leisurely jog….. #Guilty

That is just one example of MANY…. We seem to be always comparing, always feeling we will not measure up. It is like we are striving to be perfect even though we ALL know it is impossible to be that.

It can start at a young age now with so much access to what every one else is or is acting like they are doing. Social media can be a bad thing in some circumstances especially with young people. (It definitely has good stuff too do not get me wrong).

The constant comparison though is not healthy, and in young kids it can really put them at risk for anxiety among other things as they get older.

Always having to outdo or have the better toy or outfit or later on car or home than the next person. And then the, how do they afford that? We can’t even afford ____ and then the constant beating ourselves up for not being good enough.

Its dangerous! Our confidence and ability to believe in ourselves goes down, we are striving for something a few years ago probably did not even matter. We refuse to look in the mirror and see what we DO have, what we SHOULD be thankful for, what we CAN bring to the table.

The key…. is to realize that we ALL have something to bring to the table, we ALL have something to offer. BUT we are ALL different! So we cannot expect to live the same exact lives and do the exact same things with the same outcomes as others., even our family!

Not to mention…. what the comparing does to health over time…

It causes that underlying stress we may not even realize we have or are putting on ourselves until late at night when we can’t sleep because our stress hormones are working out of sync. Or when we find ourselves reaching for that pill or drink to calm us down. Over time these things escalate to other things if we do not look in the mirror and see ourselves. What we HAVE and we CAN be.

This is something that helps me when I lose perspective on this:

• Take the last 24 hours and write down 1-2 things that you are proud of that you did or accomplished. It can be big or small.

• Take the last week and repeat this process again for the entire week, what is something good that happened, something good that you achieved, something good that you did for someone else even.

• Take the last month and repeat again for 2-3 things. Keep these close to you and look them over, Add to them daily if you need or want to. The more you focus on this type of thing the more you will recognize the positive in life and build your confidence.

Please understand that I am not discrediting those of us (me included) who have anxiety or other illnesses, they are real, but a lot of times if we can recognize that we are triggering certain things ourselves we can feel better. I am not saying it is easy or it will work for everyone, but sometimes it is all us and WE have to do what we can to fix it.

I would love to have you try my approach, and see or hear if it helps. The steps outlined above take time but help me when I get to a bad spot, I just HAVE to make myself sit down and do them. Tag me on social media or email me and let me know how you feel, and if it helped. Feel free to share this with whoever may need it.

Stay in touch!

-C