July 28, 2025

When was the last time you compared yourself to others?

Comparison rarely leads to happiness; in fact, it often results in unhappiness. We tend to focus on what’s great about other people and what we perceive as terrible about ourselves. This natural negativity bias is something poet Anne Lamott warns us about when she advises, “Try not to compare your insides to other people’s outsides.”

Take a moment to reflect on the last time you compared yourself to someone. How did it make you feel?

Comparing ourselves with others often leaves us feeling frustrated, anxious, and stuck, allowing our inner critic to take over. It does not help us create the life we truly desire.

As Warren Buffett says, “The big question about how people behave is whether they’ve got an inner scoreboard or an outer scoreboard. It helps if we can be satisfied with our inner scoreboard.”

When we choose to compare ourselves to others, we waste our energy trying to bring them down rather than focusing on how to lift ourselves up. To move past this, concentrate on your capabilities and how you can improve yourself.

Shifting to this mindset allows life to become about being a better version of yourself. When that happens, your efforts and energy go toward upgrading your personal definition of success, your standards, and your values. You stop worrying about what others are doing, becoming happier and free from the burdens of false comparison. 

By ceasing to compare yourself to others and focusing inward, you start excelling at what truly matters: being yourself. This might seem simple, but it is not easy.

The most important aspects of life are measured internally. Identifying what matters most to you can be challenging. It's easy to play to someone else’s scoreboard; that’s why many people do it. However, winning the wrong game is pointless and ultimately unfulfilling. You have one life—play your own game and own it!

Personality begins where comparison leaves off. Be unique. Be memorable. Be confident. Be you! You glow differently when your confidence comes from believing in yourself rather than seeking validation from others. It took me many years to let go of this mindset, and believe me, it’s worth it!

My writings + work inspire people to look in the mirror without fear or disappointment; to build a deep personal relationship with themselves and with God, so that they can live with unshakable confidence and spread that confidence to everyone they meet, authentically inspiring them to live with depth and love the experience.

Live original—it’s one of the best gifts you can give to the world!

Intentionally Own It! What personalized growth does this message encourage me to pursue, and why does it matter? When will I take action, and what value will it add to my life and the lives of others when I do?