Don’t Compare Your Chapter 1 to Someone Else’s Chapter 20

Today, I am reminded of this quote: “Don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20.”

How easy is it for us to compare our lives to others’ lives? When we peek into other people’s lives, we may only see what’s good and not be aware of the bad. Or, we don’t realize the sacrifices it took to get to that point (e.g. the work it took for someone to now own a million-dollar home).

In addition to not comparing your chapter one to someone else’s chapter twenty, I think it’s important to not compare your chapter twenty to your chapter one. Life is progressive. Things are always changing. As you grow older, you age and you may develop certain unhealthy conditions. Or, you experience a situation different from before that may make it more difficult (e.g. having children to raise).

The best way to live is to live in your present moment. That’s easier said than done. But basically, you focus on what’s going on in front of you now and you enjoy where you are. There’s no need to compare. There will always be people who are better off, but that does not mean that you can’t enjoy right now.

If I was constantly comparing myself to others, I wouldn’t even bother blogging perhaps, because there are always others who provide much more valuable content. Or, someone could just be a better writer than I am. But today, I am choosing to blog out of enjoyment and out of a recent goal I set for myself. If I wasn’t as good of a writer as someone else out there, does that mean I have to quit? Of course not. You only get better with practice. It’s okay to be at the level that I am at right now.

I just thought of fitness as being an area of life in which it is easy to compare your chapter one to someone else’s chapter twenty. It’s easy to see someone bench pressing 225 lbs and going, “Okay, I quit. I’m never going to get that far.” But you don’t see the work behind it, the sacrifices that were made to get there, the time and the dedication put into it. Instead, you should go at your own pace. Figure out what’s right for you whether it is taking a Zumba class or just walking on the treadmill for a few minutes. Then, gradually work up your way from there.

There’s no need to compare yourself to others. Enjoy where you are right now. The journey is more important than the destination.