Comparison is the enemy of contentment and can be a deterrent of progress. Can it be valuable to look at and learn from the journey of others? Absolutely. However, if you determine your own worth through comparing yourself to other people it can kill your joy and rob you of potential growth.
For my son's 4th birthday he really wanted to ride Go-Carts for the first time. Thankfully, he had just reached the appropriate height to be able to do it at our local course. We got in line and waited our turn: he was filled with excitement. We got out on the track in our two-seater go-cart and he had the time of his life. It didn't matter to him that other people in single-seaters were passing us: he just soaked in the joy of the moment. He avoided the comparison trap.
The Comparison Trap is a psychological phenomena in which we measure our success by comparing ourselves to others. It's harmful and painful and has been an issue long before social media, but social media has certainly increased the temptation to fall into this trap. In the first two years of launching Appointed to Lead, I've fallen into this trap many times.
Yet I am at my happiest when I strive to be like my son at the go-cart track, focused on the impact we are making in the lives of student leaders and appreciative of every opportunity we get to help students become the leaders they were made to be. Have you fallen into the comparison trap? If so, I encourage you to take time today to appreciate the unique journey you are on. Appreciate the successes you’ve had, the challenges you face, and the pace of the race you are on. It’s a race against yourself and not others. Sometimes you have to watch others pass you by on the go-cart track of life and wave with a smile knowing that you are where you are meant to be.
-Stuart Gordon, Founder, Appointed to Lead