“Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.” – Jordan Peterson
All too often, we compare ourselves to others. We ask: Why don’t I have the nice things they have? Why am I not as smart as he is? Why don’t I look like she does?
And then we start thinking, “Well, if only I had those things, then I’d be happy.” And that never works!
In high school, I did this all the time. I was unhappy because I was comparing myself to my friends. I felt like they were smarter, more talented, and more accomplished. I would work hard, but I felt like I could never be as good as them. And it was really frustrating.
It was when I started teaching martial arts that things started to change. I was good at it, my confidence was building. But most importantly, I started to compare myself to who I was yesterday, instead of comparing myself to others. If I can say, “I’m better than I was yesterday,” that’s a good day. I am very inspired by others who are far ahead of me, but I don’t need to beat myself up because I’m not where they are. It’s unfair to everyone!
If we are always comparing ourselves to others, we will be miserable.
Here’s what has helped me and what we hope to instill in our students:
1. Be grateful for what you have and who you were created to be.
2. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday. “How can I improve today?”
