It is easier than ever to share the best bits of your life. With just a few clicks on your phone you can become engulfed in a ‘perfect’ world with people travelling on holiday, eating delicious food or sharing their latest shopping purchases.
Although it can be fun and inspiring to see what your family, friends and favourite celebrities are up to, it can sometimes lead to feeling discontent. When we constantly consume what’s happening in other people’s lives, it can become a distraction from enjoying your own and it can even lead to you feeling isolated, lonely or insecure.
It’s not uncommon to feel like this, but it’s not good to stay like it. If we recognise negative feelings within ourselves, especially if we know it’s related to all the things we are seeing online, we have to learn when to stop and how to combat it. A helpful lesson to remember is: ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’.
It is a simple quote from President Roosevelt, but I have found it an everlasting lesson that can speak volumes. The more you compare yourself with other people – their body, clothes or luxurious holidays – the less time you have to find joy in your own life.
The more time spent comparing your school grades, clothes or hairstyle will only make you unhappier. It’s important to find a balance between consuming virtual content and finding gratitude in your own life as this will help you feel more content and optimistic.
“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” – Galatians 6: 4-5 MSG
In order to take responsibility, we must focus on ourselves, our own blessings and beauties! This doesn’t mean never being happy for others, we should always make time to celebrate your friends or family’s successes! Delighting in other people’s achievements doesn’t take away from your own.
So next time you are scrolling through Instagram and flicking through Snapchat, don’t allow insecurities and envy to take over, instead take a moment to say 3 things you’re grateful for in your own life, and always remember that no one else is better at being you, than you.
