Are you caught in the trap of Comparison? Looking around at everyone and everything, using others as a measuring stick for your life?
The world today is moving at such a fast pace it is so easy to get caught up in, what I call, the ‘rat race’.
Everyone racing to get somewhere yet the ‘somewhere’, eludes everyone…and so the race continues and continues without anyone making substantial progress in any direction.
Social media feeds into this competition. 24/7 you can read about, and view tons of pictures depicting everyone else on their life journey. You can see where they are, where they have been, what they look like and whom they are with. You can even see what they are eating.
I don’t know about you, as for me…TMI (Too much Information). I realized, a long time ago, the many messages competing for my attention were hindering me from running my race effectively.
I had to uncover the design necessary for me to successfully and happily run ‘my race’.
Marathon runners train hard to find their zone, the pace at which they can run to sustain them for the duration of the race. Their endurance is not determined by anyone else’s pace, but rather on their own capabilities.
Life is a marathon. We do not get to sprint through life. If you try, you will burn out, and fall short of all God has prepared for you. You must prepare for life as a marathon runner prepares for an event.
Focus on your strengths, find your stride and keep to your game plan.
Examining what everyone else is doing, what everyone else has and where everyone else is headed will simply fluster you. It is imperative for runners to stay their course; this truth applies to you in your everyday life as well.
When God created you, He did not copy a blueprint or mimic a design. He uniquely formed you.
He equipped you with the particular skill set you would need to fulfill His plans for your life. (Ephesians 2:10)
Consider the sun, moon, and stars. They are not competing with one another, they are all beautifully designed and fulfilling the purpose for which they were created.
Likewise, You need not compete with anyone in order to fulfill the purpose for which you were fashioned. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix you gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. (Proverbs 4:25-26)
The allurement of comparison will leave you stressed and ineffective. You will never reach your personal fulfillment or contentment while you are running the route of similarity.
I learned this lesson the hard way as a Flight Instructor. When I began instructing, I did as all other flight instructors around me were doing. I worked crazy long hours, took every flight I could get my hands on, and set my fee well under fair compensation for my level of expertise. All along, believing the lie, which loudly said… this is all par for the course.
It did not take me long to realize, this was not working for me. I could not maintain the pace. I was exhausted and unfulfilled. The work, which I enjoyed immensely, became a chore.
I petitioned the Lord about this one-day, well honestly, I was complaining to Him about my dilemma. This was definitely not the race I wanted to be in, yet I did not know how to find ‘my zone’ within the Flight Instructing industry.
Once again to my surprise, I was taken off guard by the response I sensed in my spirit. “You have not because you ask not”. Need I tell you, I proceeded to plead my case before the Lord, (why do we bother to argue with God…we NEVER win), and He lovingly repeated, “You have not because you ask not”.
So I made a deal with God, right there and then. I told God I would not instruct unless I had clients that would pay me what I felt was fair compensation. I would no longer just take on ‘any clients’ just for the sake of building flight hours. I would rather sit behind a desk as a bookkeeper, (which is what I did as I was building my business), then be under paid as a Flight Instructor. I decided to put my faith into action, trusting Him to lead me into my ‘zone’.
What I learned was this…Comparison stifles Creativity.
If you are busy comparing yourself, your family, or your dreams to others, you are wasting vital resources. Resources, which could be actively used in establishing the life, you desire.
I decided to throw out all notions of ‘what were typical industry standards’, and decided to design what I wanted my business to look like. I wrote, on paper, exactly the fee I wanted, the type of aircrafts I wanted to fly and the clientele I wanted to work with.
I took a step of faith and decided to break away from the ‘crowd’ and made up my mind to find my ‘zone’. My business flourished in unprecedented time. Far beyond what I could have dreamed or imagined!
Do you find yourself stressed and tired? Are you saying ‘yes’ to things you would rather not do just because you think you should? Do you often find yourself in situations, which make you uncomfortable?
If this sounds all too familiar, I challenge you to consider whether you have fallen into the trap of comparison rather than choosing the road of creativity.
Invest your time uncovering the life you were designed to live.
Spend time exploring your God given talents, and how you may develop and use those gifts to benefit others.
You have something special to offer the world; don’t waste your valuable time trying to compete with someone else.
Stay in your lane, run your race. It’s the only way to uncover your purpose.
Challenge Question: Are you struggling with comparison? What is one thing you can do this week to move into your ‘zone’; to begin to design your own life strategy? Share with us in the comment section below.
If you found this article encouraging, inspiring, or challenging, please share it with others…
-Lucy Ann
Jessy says
Many thanks for such thought -provoking articles. It gets me thinking and I realise that I don’t do it as often as I should probably because I’m so caught in the train of things.
Lucy Ann says
Jessy, It’s my pleasure to share with you… I am glad you are being challenged in thought-provoking ways, that is encouraging to me!
Jordy says
Excellent article Lucy Ann, very thought provoking.
First, I had to learn how to love myself. This was a journey that excelled at warp speed at age 38 when I grabbed a hold of God with all of my being. He helped me see that I was created to be exactly who I am, a man with my “own” God given passions, gifts and talents.
Sadly, for thirty eight years of my life, I was riddled with comparing myself to others and plagued with many insecurities.
During this process of being taught how to love myself, God guided me to a life-changing 12-step group and planted me in an awesome church. As I continued to participate in those two communities amazing friendships were developed. Those friends recognized my gifts and talents, and encouraged me to walk more fully in them.
Then the most incredible things started to happened, the creative side of me started to flourish within those two communities and among my friendships. Doors of opportunity started to effortlessly open as God went before me and many of my heart’s desires were fulfilled.
Oh, I could write an entire book about how I used to compare myself to people who were successful, popular and wealthy, all the while believing the “LIE” that I was less than…
Unhealthy comparisons bread insecurity, jealousy, depression, strive, anger, malice and much more…
Healthy comparisons can aid in self-improvement and greater accomplishments in life.
Today, more so than not, I’m okay with me!
I was created to be exactly who I am!
Lucy Ann says
Jordy…Thanks for sharing your awesome testimony!!! How great is our God!
I loved hearing how God has transformed your life and set you free from the comparison trap! Now you can flourish as the amazing man God has designed you to be!
You are irreplaceable!
Nancy Holte says
I came over to your blog after seeing your comment on mine. If you happen to read my blog that is coming out next Monday please be assured I wrote it BEFORE reading this. Comparison is such a nasty stifler of the creativity God gave us. Thanks for reminding me of how nasty it is to be caught in the comparison rut.
Lucy Ann says
🙂 Nancy, Great to hear from you. Thanks for checking in. No worries, just confirmation of the message the Holy Spirit is wanting to convey! Comparison and competition are nasty traps the enemy tries to bait us with. We all need to be reminded of this. Blessings to you!
sikis izle says
Seu blog é um sucesso, muito completo. Ahhh quando a paixão está lá, tudo é 🙂
Lucy Ann says
Skis izle,
Bem-vinda e obrigado 🙂
sikis izle says
A good blog! I will bookmark a few of these..