“Purpose is like a psychic compass, it makes sure you are moving in the right direction”, Bob Proctor.
To kick things off I want to talk about something that's been on my mind lately: the comparison trap. It's something that's so easy to fall into and I've definitely been guilty of it myself. Recently, I was texting with a friend who was feeling down after catching up with her old school pal who was doing cool things in the world of boutique property development. My friend was feeling embarrassed because she didn't have any "projects" of her own to talk about at their catch up. Which got me wondering firstly since when did my friend want to be a property developer and secondly why do we feel the need to compare ourselves to others and their accomplishments?
The comparison trap ensnares us in a negative, low-self-worth loop because we are holding up a mirror of judgement. When we compare ourselves to others, we're essentially judging ourselves against criteria that doesn't even apply to us. That just leads to feelings of inadequacy and low self-worth. But here's the thing: we all have our own unique paths in life and our purpose is to share our own gifts with the world. So why waste our time comparing ourselves to others, when we could be focusing on our own dreams and the things that excite us?
As Julia Cameron says in The Artist's Way, “The compare-and-contrast school of thinking may have its place for critics, but not for artists in the act of creation. Let us concern ourselves first and foremost with what it is within us that is struggling to be born.”
It's so important to get curious about our own dreams and desires, it’s how we pay attention to what our soul is yearning for. When we feel envy or comparison creeping in, it's actually a sign that our soul is craving more. Society conditions us to believe that following certain steps - school, higher education, a stable job- will lead to fulfilment but this usually just leads to comparison, feeling aimless and wondering, “is this all there is?” By digging deeper, we can start to uncover the limiting beliefs that are holding us back from pursuing our own unique version of a fulfilling life.
So let's stop comparing ourselves to others and start focusing on our own unique journeys – after all we are the sole experiencers of them. Let's get curious about our dreams and deeper interests and start taking steps towards living our fullest expression. We all have something to offer the world that no one else can and by forging our own paths, we can make a difference and live a fulfilling life.
There is a lot more to say on this so ver the next few months, I’m going to be diving even deeper into the topics of purpose and personal power. As someone who’s seen countless friends and peers struggle with feeling aimless, uncertain and generally stuck, I’ve noticed some common trends and patterns emerging. I’m all fired up to share what I’ve learned so far through my studies in Eastern spirituality, holistic wellbeing and creativity and offer some ideas for how we can all start moving forward and enjoying the good life.