imagine if… you compared no more

imagine if… you compared no more

“Comparison is the thief of joy”
Theodore Roosevelt 

We come into this world as a unique human being and for most of us, the comparison with others starts very early on.  When my children were babies and I first started going to baby groups, I noticed just how much comparison there was.  Often it was to try and feel better about the fact that your baby was keeping you up all night and then someone would say, “oh I’m so lucky mine sleeps right through”!

Your true nature is unique and therefore, cannot be compared to anything or anyone

Notice how much you compare yourself to others, it might be how clever someone is compared to you, how beautiful or ugly someone is compared to you, how good at their job someone is compared to you.  Undoubtedly, you will always find someone who is perceived to be better or worse, but what does that really mean?  Is it an opportunity to invite your critical voice, or is it an opportunity to feel better about yourself?   What’s the point, as none of it is true!

Only the ego is interested in comparison as a form of measurement and trying to secure the self, which is actually impossible and creates suffering and anxiety.  Your true nature is unique and therefore, cannot be compared to anything or anyone.

So, the key to this is catching the uneasy thought.  Often you don’t even notice, as it can be deeply unconscious and yet now that you’ve read this blog, you will inevitably become aware of your inner critic.  When you catch the thought, notice the feelings that go with that thought.  Your feelings are a barometer, your guide and the more that you’re aware of these feelings, the closer you get to the truth of who you are.  Really question the thought, how does it serve me to think this way, is it really true (often the answer is no)?  It may be to keep you stuck in a job, or stuck in a relationship and ultimately stop you from stepping into a fear and bringing it into the light.  Just like in the film ‘Gremlins’, when thoughts are brought into the light and seen for what they are, they shrivel up and die.

I used to think that so many things were not possible for me.  It was only when I questioned these thoughts, I realised that I was limiting myself and it was nothing to do with the external focus of my thoughts. 

Through awareness and questioning of your thoughts,  the layers of misunderstanding start to fall away and you become clearer about who you really are and who you are not. Who doesn’t want to live an unlimited life?

Pauline Buckley

October 2020