I generally find that comparison is the fast track to unhappiness. No one ever compares themselves to someone else and comes out even. Jack Canfield 

It’s amazing to me how many of us think that everyone but us has his or her life together. We point to saints, celebrities, spiritual leaders, and successful people and envy them. We look to TV characters and movie sets and think they show us how most people live. Then we look around our own house and feel inadequate.

On the other side of the coin, if we look at the truly amazing lives we live—with opportunities and indoor plumbing, a floor and a roof, car and cell phone, and all the things of a First World lifestyle, we have more than most of the people on the planet today.

So the reality is that you can always find someone better off, and worse off, than you. Comparing just doesn’t help you find your place and experience your abundance. Express your life! Be happy with who you are! Be proud of your own growth and learning. Be aware of the good in your life and what you have available to share with others. That is enough to move you into joy!

Spiritual Contemplation: Who are you always comparing yourself to in a way that focuses on your lack or sense of inadequacy? Is there another way you could look at this?

Affirmation: I am grateful for my life and all the good in it. I share it joyfully with others.