Comparing Yourself to Others Online is Not Helpful
If you spend most of your time comparing yourself to others, it’s easy to get caught up on the things that you don’t have, especially material things (home, car, jewelry, etc.). As I’ve gotten older, this seemingly has exploded in social media. For all the benefits that social media brings around networking with friends from around the world, it’s also a performance in some ways – we are only privy to what someone decides to share.
We have no idea whether what we are seeing is real and/or if it’s the whole story.
Why Social Media?
I’m not here to explain everyone’s motivation around social media – both the sharing of yourself and how much time people devote to it. Let’s discuss HOW you react to things, both online and offline. Do you wish you had a different life? A better life? Do you want someone’s life that you see on Instagram or TikTok? If yes, have you ever asked yourself why?
Not What it Seems
Have you ever contemplated that the life that you’re seeing might be the exact same as yours – same highs and lows, same struggles and victories, same fears and doubts? What if their life situation is actually WORSE than yours; they don’t have supportive friends or family. What if they are alone and struggling and are using social media to make themselves feel better by creating a false reality to show the world that they have their shit together.
Nobody is Perfect
I’m not saying that I’m perfect and that I never get jealous of others. I do and I probably will for the rest of my life. But for the most part, I’m at peace with my life. After fully embracing who I am and finding my tribe, I accept the life choices that I’ve made and where it’s gotten me. I am still employed and have a plethora of friends and a loving husband. Why should I waste time wondering what another life is like when I’ve got everything I want right now?
Peter Leahy
A self-proclaimed “ideas guy,” I’ve worked in marketing for over twenty-five years. After years of sadness, emptiness and self-loathing, I finally came out of the closet in 2013 and reinvented myself. Now happily married to my husband for over two years, we live in California with our Chihuahua Felicia, the queen of our household.
