I'd measure up if...
Comparison has been on my mind a lot lately. I gave a talk on the subject at a conference last week, and it was powerful. Participants left feeling inspired to share their unique gifts and talents, rather than try to be like someone else’s gifts and talents.
Whenever I look out in my world and start comparing myself to others, I notice the same pattern occur: Immediately I feel inadequate, like I don’t measure up.
Some part of me then buys into the idea that I would measure up if I had what “they” have—more followers, bigger email list, more money, more notoriety, more travel, her body, her skin, her attitude, etc.
That same part of me then gets busy making plans, putting together a list of actions I should take right now to remedy the situation. Because, see, if I have the thing “they” have, then, I’ll feel adequate again. Then, I’ll be good enough. Then, I can breathe easy.
Yet, those actions never work because I created them in a frantic, less than state. I didn’t stop to consider if those steps fit into my daily life? Did I have room for them on my “to do” list? Did I even want to do them?
More often than not, the answer is no. And that’s when I realize—opps I did it again! (cue Britney Spears) I let my not-enoughness get ahead of me and call the shots.
I then slow down and remind myself of my values; thus reconnecting to my way. My version of success is not less than because it looks different. Mine is mine…and theirs is theirs.
And, guess what? Suddenly I can breathe again.
This was positively reinforced when I listened to the podcast, Making Oprah. If you haven’t taken in this three-part series, you must. In it Oprah shares about breaking into the talk show industry, and how she and her team intentionally focused on their mission. They didn’t look out in the tv world to see what other shows were doing, they stayed in their lane and did them. They created shows they wanted to see. They put together programs that were meaningful to them and their audience. And Life took care of the rest.
The more we do us, the better we are. So my question is, how good are you at doing you?
Do you take a stand for what brings you joy and pleasure? Do you give yourself permission to do those things often? Do you even know what makes your Soul light up?
That’s where you begin.
What do you love to do? How do you want to spend your time? Who do you want to serve? How do you want to share your love?
Your answers to these questions are sacred. The more you slow down, attune, and make space to share your uniqueness, the more you’ll value you. The more you’ll like you. And the easier it will be to do you.
Tell me in the comments below, what’s one of your unique gifts and why?
Let’s celebrate how amazing you are together.
With Fierce Loving,
Amber