“Comparison is the thief of joy.“
Theodore Roosevelt
This is one of my favorite quotes because it is such a simple concept, but certainly not always easy to put into practice. We live in a world rife with judgement and comparison. And the most brutal appraisals can come from within. Comparing our current selves with our past selves. We are often our own worst critics.
It seems natural that as the years go by, we will age and will not be able to do the things we could once do. Or not do them at the same level. Some people seem to naturally accept and expect the limitations of aging. But many grieve that loss so deeply that they are either paralyzed and unable to enjoy their present or they may go to extreme measures to try and “get it back”.
I think folks who are active and competitive in nature can feel this most intensely. Their identities can become so enmeshed with physical accomplishments that when faced with the inevitable changes of aging, they no longer know who they are or where they fit in.
Our culture certainly does no favors in this regard. Youth is glorified and millions, maybe even billions of dollars are spent each year in the pursuit of youth. And the elderly are often ignored or dismissed as no longer having value. And we see this, so of course, we try to do everything we can to NOT get old. But, if we are lucky, we are given the privilege to grow old.
Comparing our current selves to our younger selves is a trap to keep us stuck. Our past is just a story that resides in our thoughts. It happened. The end. There is nothing we can do to change the past and it is a waste of time to let our brains hang out there, wistfully longing to return.
All we have is today, right here, right now. And if we are lucky, we have tomorrow too. And some more tomorrows. We long for the past or the future because we think we were or will be happy there. But if we cannot be happy with who or where we are now, we won’t be happy “there” either. We must align our thoughts toward self-acceptance, compassion, trust and move through each day with a calm resolve to honor our current and future selves.
Affirmations – New Thoughts
- Comparison: Comparison is the thief of joy. I choose joy.
- Younger: Younger me would be so proud of the person I’ve become.
- Healthier: I choose thoughts that promote my health – mind, body and spirit.
- Future: I am grateful for each day and envision a beautiful future.
31 Thoughts is a monthlong series exploring thoughts that do not serve us, how to flip the way we think about them and affirmations to generate new feelings, new actions and new results!