Take a Look at Her

Today, while scrolling through my Facebook feed, I came across the following picture.

Doesn’t the woman in this picture look carefree?

I shared the post on my page, and as I moved on with my daily tasks of washing laundry, grocery shopping, and house cleaning, I continued to think about this woman whose arms were spread like an eagle ready to fly. She was looking straight ahead, not to either side or behind her. She wasn’t worried about what was going on around her.

Do I resemble this woman? I do sometimes, but not often enough.

Although the picture’s theme was about not competing with others, I focused on her choice to forgo comparisons.

Everyday, we are faced with comparisons. A woman at the grocery store, or at the office, may look younger, thinner, taller, or shorter. She may have a gorgeous haircut, wear better clothing, or seem more successful. We can look at the moms in the PTO group or the pastor’s wife at church and think they seem to have it all together, while we can barely keep our child from having a temper-raising meltdown every 10 minutes.

For guys, you may be comparing yourselves to a man at the gym who can bench press twice his weight, while you can barely lift a quarter of yours. Your colleague might earn more money than you, even though you work more hours. Then, you could look at the neighbor with the perfect lawn or the one who takes exotic vacations with his family every year. The list goes on and on.

As for me, I sometimes catch the comparison bug as I examine the work of proficient writers or anointed ministry leaders. Although I am encouraged to see what is possible in these fields and I feel no jealousy toward their accomplishments, it is easy to find reasons why my work might not measure up.

Have you ever considered what we are forfeiting when we compare ourselves with our neighbors, friends, colleagues, relatives, and mentors?

I am not referring to examining others in order to grow personally or professionally; I am talking about the “I’m not good enough” comparisons that I previously mentioned.

In my case, I think I lose sight of my own value as I compare myself to others. I forget that I make a unique contribution to this world as a woman, wife, friend, student, writer, mentor, and mom. Comparison leads me to unfairly judge my work and life circumstances. It stifles my creativity, sense of beauty, and appreciation for life. In fact, I think comparison causes me to trade my best self for a mediocre version.

So, I ask you to consider, how often do you experience freedom like the woman in the picture? Do you find yourself lost in comparisons? What are YOU losing through those comparisons?

Finally, what could you gain if you chose not to compare yourself with others and instead focused on being the best runner in your own race?