Stop comparing your life to others.
Full stop.
When building your dream, you must avoid this trap like the plague.
It's tempting because there are many ingredients that make things appear similar.
You are both humans. You are both born on earth. You might be from the same country. You might be the same race, gender, or age. Perhaps you went to the same school. Maybe you're even siblings.
But make no mistake: you are NOTHING alike.
Despite common ~circumstances~ you are totally unique. Both the DNA and the soul within.
This may seem very 'live, laugh, love' of me to say this, but the comparison is less similar than apples and oranges.
Greatness only operates in a category of one.
Alexander The Great didn't invent the iPhone. Atilla The Hun couldn't write a Platonic Dialogue if he tried. Michelangelo would not have been helpful crossing the Delaware. I doubt Confucius would even attempt to cross The Rubicon. And Mozart doesn't strike me as the type to invent the Teslacoil.
The point is: Your life is entirely your own.
And when navigating the uncharted waters of your life, the world will try to convince you that you're 'falling behind'. Behind what exactly? They don't have a good answer for that, but everyone seems really serious about it.
The idea that you could somehow be late to your own life is asinine. It's your life.
Imagine the ensemble cast organizing a scene without the main character finding out. The plot is literally written FOR your character development. It's your show.
Comparison will steal your joy like a thief in the night.
Just because someone else cracked their first million at 18 HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHEN YOU WILL MAKE YOURS.
Alexander stood atop the world at 23. Picasso made masterpieces in his 90s. So was Magellan late when he circumnavigated the globe?
Retarded idea. A complete lie and mind-virus of the fearful. Resist it at all costs.
You can't be late to your own life. You can’t miss what’s meant for you.
It's also important to remember that you can't envy only parts of someone else's life. It's a package deal. If you wouldn't take the broken relationships, hidden addictions, and internal struggles, then there's nothing to envy. You can't cherry-pick the dream car, house, watch, or body.
I share this stuff because I've fallen prey to the exact trap more than once. My (younger) brother is married. My peers that I graduated University with are 3 promotions deep. Some of them own property. Kids aren't far behind.
And here I am 'figuring it out'. I've got no great answers for holiday dinner party questions.
Comma: That's ok.
In our comparative, pseudo-social media world, your only task is persistent iteration on your dream life. Don't try to become anything other than yourself. Otherwise you steal the experience from everyone who would have loved to meet you.
Block out the noise; Blinders on, head down, heart on fire.
Remember,
- There is no timeline for the life you want.
- You can’t be late to your own life.
- You can’t miss what’s meant for you.
- It’s all happening perfectly.
So don’t let comparison have these years. Enjoy the ride.
Thanks for reading, share if you feel called. Otherwise talk soon.
Be The Renaissance.