Remember Where You've Been

As you may or may not know, I celebrated my birthday, the big 28th last month! My mind keeps reminding me... only two more years until 30, as if something important is supposed to happen then.

I'll be an old spinster.

Hahaha, I know, I know 30 isn't that old, it just feels like I should have something accomplished by then, something important, something big.

It's been a whole decade since I became an adult. In a personal capacity I can't say I've gone very far... ((I just wrote that and started giggling... silly Dominee)) Okay, let me rephrase that, traditionally in a personal capacity I haven't gone very far. No serious relationships, I live in a one bedroom apartment, I haven't even had any pets aside from goldfish. By the standard of my peers, who are married with kids and houses by now, I'm leagues behind.

However when I look at the mental and emotional progress I've made, I want to weep with appreciation for how far I've come. I am a completely different person from who I used to be, and while you can't measure that in a traditional sense, I am still uber proud of myself.

I have come so far.

It's a huge lesson to me in not comparing my journey to anyone else's because you can't measure success by looking on the outside. I think that's a good reminder for us all. We can't use someone else's success as a tool to put ourselves down or makes us feel badly about our lives.

Judge where you are by how far you've come.

We each have a different path and to judge ourselves by someone else's journey is just silliness. So I have an assignment for you: Acknowledge how far you've come from where you were. Acknowledge how many obstacles you've overcome in your life and be so proud that you're here today. Think about the worst thing that's happen to you. You were strong enough to get through it, you, you, were that strong.

You are so amazing.

Do you fall into the trap of comparison? How do you deal with it?