Comparison is a dangerous emotion and can easily lead you astray. Astray from your fundamental morals and feelings towards any given situation. Today we had our grading for Jiu Jitsu and once I became a blue belt and had been training as a blue belt for 6 or so months I felt my mindset change and the whole concept of promotions dwindled and was quickly replaced by the search for growth on a day to day basis and the constant progress was the objective.

Regardless, today I received a new stripe on my blue belt and was super stoked to receive it, but a training partner who I have progressed with received more stripes than me. My train of thought shifted to a comparative mindset and I lost myself for a moment. Bear in mind this training partner is also a friend of mine, who I respect and my fundamental morals and values are of praise and support for my friend, not a comparative contrast about my own shortfall or the perception of my shortfall anyway. Sometimes when you feel like an injustice towards you, it creates this hurdle in your mind, but if you can only follow the positive attributes of the experience.

I find comparison a strange emotion and one of great significance in the search for happiness because it can drag you in different directions so quickly and before you know it your not thinking clearly out of comparing yourself against what? Your situation, your life, your path, your objective is all different and although there are tangible calculations to create comparison and in many ways the comparison can create drive, competition and positive adversity. It essentially is always a choice and the choice is yours to choose the path of least resistance, because in this instance it’s the preferable one.

Comparison of something that you feel negatively about purely because of your own insecurities is irrelevant. If it doesn’t contribute or deter from your path of growth then choose to be happier for someone else’s growth.

Thanks,

Dean