I was at a particularly difficult yoga class last evening and was trying extremely hard to keep up with the pace of my teacher. Being an ardent yoga practitioner, I had very smartly positioned myself in the first row. A row, reserved for those who practice frequently and lead the class. During most classes, I feel comfortable being in the spotlights....but today was a different story. I wished I were at the back of the class...where no one could see my agony. I wish I did not stand out like an inflexible sore thumb, compared to all the other practitioners in the first row.
As my mind went wild with these festering thoughts, my yoga teacher said "Remember, you are on your mat for yourself, not for anyone else. Stop constantly comparing your journey with everyone else" - And it struck me...I had spent the entire class, feeling insecure because I was constantly comparing myself to someone else.
I think 'comparisonitis' is a chronic disease. It goes into remission when we're happy, have great company around us and sleep enough..but the moment something doesn't go the way we want it too, it flares up.
The only way to manage the disease, is to awaken to the fact that there is no such thing as perfection. The person with a job will always compare himself to others with better titles, the person with no job will compare himself to everyone else who has found a job so easily. No matter what the situation is, we can always find someone better to compare ourselves too...
I think the key here is to realise that what we need most is our own approval, our own acceptance of our work. Everything outside of that is outside our control. When we realise this we set ourselves free from the feeling of unworthiness and the desire to sat one-step ahead of some perceived competition. We set ourselves free from the anger, the guilt, the frustration we beat ourselves up with
As Theodore Roosevelt one said " To do the work, not with error and shortcoming, but with enthusiasm and great devotion " is the way to fight comparisonititis. Each go us needs to be proud and embrace our our unique voice and identity and forget trying to fit in, and rather own how we stand out.
As my mind went wild with these festering thoughts, my yoga teacher said "Remember, you are on your mat for yourself, not for anyone else. Stop constantly comparing your journey with everyone else" - And it struck me...I had spent the entire class, feeling insecure because I was constantly comparing myself to someone else.
The only way to manage the disease, is to awaken to the fact that there is no such thing as perfection. The person with a job will always compare himself to others with better titles, the person with no job will compare himself to everyone else who has found a job so easily. No matter what the situation is, we can always find someone better to compare ourselves too...
I think the key here is to realise that what we need most is our own approval, our own acceptance of our work. Everything outside of that is outside our control. When we realise this we set ourselves free from the feeling of unworthiness and the desire to sat one-step ahead of some perceived competition. We set ourselves free from the anger, the guilt, the frustration we beat ourselves up with
As Theodore Roosevelt one said " To do the work, not with error and shortcoming, but with enthusiasm and great devotion " is the way to fight comparisonititis. Each go us needs to be proud and embrace our our unique voice and identity and forget trying to fit in, and rather own how we stand out.
2 comments:
Agree totally! :)
I was reminded of this scene - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27D4k3dCXPg
That's brilliant!! What movie is this from...I would like to watch the whole thing!
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