It’s natural to think about other people and compare your life to theirs. They have the perfect marriage. The dream job. A satisfying career and social life. Well-behaved and successful children.
With so many ways to view others’ lives via social media, it’s natural to feel like you are behind in many categories of your own life. You can always find someone who is better in one dimension.
This can lead you to take on goals and improve. Try to get a better career. Work on finding a partner or improving your existing relationships. Try to be a better parent.
Seeking to grow and improve from others can lead to positive outcomes. However, it’s important to remember that many people that appear to lead perfect lives have serious flaws. The successful entrepreneur who is never there for her family. The perfect marriage that is full of infidelity and heated arguments in private. The debilitating health issues that cripple his sleep at night.
When we look at others, it’s important to remember how little we really know of most people’s lives. The healthier approach may be to just focus on our own situation and try to lead the best lives we can. We all will make mistakes. We all will have negative events in our lives.
But one thing we can change is how we approach the journey.