Comparison is the Thief of Joy… and So Much More.
"When you realize that all your material achievements are of value only in comparison with those who don't have them, this is joy that springs from another's deprivation. Can you really call this joy? Isn't it actually a kind of sickness? It is time everyone addressed this. If you were alone on this planet, what would you want for yourself? Ask yourself this question and see where it takes you.Try this. Sit alone for five minutes and see what your life would be like if you were absolutely alone in this world. If there were nobody or nothing to compare yourself with, what would you truly long for? What would really matter to you if there were no external appreciation or critique? If you do this every day, you will become aligned with the longings of the life that you are, rather than the accumulated karmic mess that you believe you are." Excerpt from 'Inner Engineering - A Yogis Guide to Joy' by Sadhguru
This quote gave me all the feels, so much so that I decided to dedicate an entire article to it.
We've all heard comparison is the thief of joy, and this excerpt just goes a step further.
I've been thinking about this a lot ever since. How much of what we want comes from what others have. Whether this be people you know that are making the big bucks and have a seemingly perfect life to seeing people you don't know on social media traveling the world and having the best time ever. How much of our lives do we spend comparing ourselves to other people - money, material things, bodies, relationships… We decide how happy or content we are with our own lives, based purely in relation to others and fearing what people think, but what if that was all gone. What if we didn't have things like social media or magazines to compare ourselves to. What if, for those of you that live in LA, you didn't live in a place where everyone was so concerned about their appearance? What if.
Now, you can take this question and use it to explore all facets of your life, and I urge you to, but because I'm an Anti-Diet Health Coach and Fitness Trainer, I need to address one of the first things that comes to mind working in my field: Weight.
“If there were nobody or nothing to compare yourself with, what would you truly long for? What would really matter to you if there were no external appreciation or critique?”
Would you really try that diet?
Would you really be so concerned about “the last 5-10 lbs?"
Would you be this mean to yourself still?
Would you really not attend that event out of fear of what you look like?
Would you really not wear that bikini and get in the water at the beach?
Would you wait to buy that dress?
Would you still wait to do all the things you've been wanting to do, because you're not x weight?
What are the things that really matter to you right now, that you're putting on hold, because how you're comparing yourself to others? If you had a week left to live, what would you do differently?
This isn't me saying, don't prioritize taking care of yourself. Remember, anti-diet doesn't mean anti-health. This is me asking, can we let the judgment and criticism towards ourselves go, so we can take care of ourselves for all the reasons that matter: living longer so we have more time to do the things we love, growing muscles so we can play more with our loved ones…
Can we focus on health, without making it the center of our lives?
Can we focus on health, without hating where we are right now?
Can we focus on health, without the labels of “bad” and “good”?
Can we focus on health, without constantly comparing ourselves to others to determine our worth?
Can we focus on health, without fear-mongering?
Can we focus on health, without the punishments?
Can we focus on health, whilst loving who we are right now?
Can we focus on health, because we appreciate our bodies and what they do for us?
Can we focus on health, just for the sake of, being healthy?
Can we focus on health, because we just want to be able to live and do the things we love?
Can we focus on health, as a gift?
Thoughts?
If you’re looking for a safe space where you'll receive support and guidance in achieving your health goals, you're right where you need to be :) Submit a client application to receive your free 15 min consultation with me. I work with clients all over the world helping those who are frustrated and confused become empowered and confident - changing their relationship with food, fitness and most importantly, themselves.
Hi, I’m Azul Corajoria, an Integrative Health Coach, Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor. I support my clients in making step-by-step changes so that they can live a healthy and balanced life. By recognizing the interdependent roles of mindset, nutrition, and movement I educate and hold my clients accountable for achieving their health goals through lifestyle and behavior adjustments with an emphasis on self-care. Together, we navigate the contradictory world of nutrition through intuitive eating, practice mindful movement, and implement small mindset and lifestyle shifts that empower them to be their best selves in the easiest way possible.
