Have you ever compared yourself to others?
Perhaps you look at your peers and wonder what happened? We’re the same age, how can this be? How have they accomplished that while I’m still struggling to get a start?
Perhaps you have said the same thing when looking at those younger than you. All the while you’re wondering did they get a lucky break or is it something else.
Ever look in the mirror and ask “Who am I?”
Finding who you are is the path to breaking away from the clutches of comparison.
I don’t know who you are. But, let me tell you who you are not. You’re not me. The success you achieve is uniquely your success. Sure I can celebrate it but it’s yours.
If I may confess, throughout my Christian walk, especially as a minister and even more so while in full-time ministry, I found myself comparing my circumstances to others. Wondering how that guy could be my age and yet lead a thriving busting at the seams ministry while I was struggling to breathe hope into a handful. Thinking like that totally destroys any sense of… impact. All it does is bear fruit of dis-satisfaction, jealousy and sometimes regret.
Even if you’re not in ministry and can’t relate with that you can most certainly replace the specifics and make it apply to your circumstance.
I worked for a pest management company named Zap1; they started over a decade ago. Shortly after they opened their doors another company called Splat2 sprouted up. Now years later Splat has blown Zap away. Splat is led by a guy nearly half the age of Zap’s owner. They have multiple employees, two offices and a recognizable image; needless to say they are successful. It would be easy for Zap to just roll over and die a miserable death. But they don’t, they push on… realizing that not everyone can be reached by Splat; despite how big they are. Zap has its problems no doubt about it; but, they don’t let the success of Splat kill them.
So many times we let our perceived deficiencies hold us back from becoming ourselves. There’s no greater person on the planet than the one who recognizes who they are and leverages that truth for the good of those around them. The eternal ripple caused by Jesus is tied to his own realization of who he was and leveraging that truth.
Now, I realize that sometimes there are genuine deficiencies that do indeed hold us back from becoming all that we can be. However, they can be corrected, adjusted or modified bringing us into a place where we are indeed aligned.
Find WHO YOU ARE.
You don’t have to be a Mark Zuckerburg, Barack Obama or Steve Jobs to make a difference.
All you have to be is YOURSELF.
Over the years I’ve come to better grips with my place in this world, my place in the Kingdom. I’ve realized that I have my own path to walk in HIS-story. And while my path, just as yours does, crosses many other paths ultimately there is only one me. Never again will there be another me. Never again will there be another you. So may you see your importance, your worth to yourself and to those around you.
The process of evolving your thinking can be a difficult task as you are confronted with things you may not wish to admit about yourself but its key in finding the real you, the one behind the mask – behind the hurt – behind the curtain.
As I said above – There’s no greater person on the planet than the one who recognizes who they are and leverages that truth for the good of those around them.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Splat does sound way cooler than Zap…
Great perspective Jason. This is awesome:
“There’s no greater person on the planet than the one who recognizes who they are and leverages that truth for the good of those around them.”
Of course we know as believer’s our chief purpose is to bring glory to God regardless if we’re cleaning toilets or ruling a nation. Those who sheepishly bury their one talent in the ground because they feel less capable than those with more should take heed. We always lose when we look around as opposed to looking up.
You’re right masterp. Excellent comment!
I thought Jamie’s comment was also pretty excellent
This post very much spoke to my heart.
For much of my life I’ve struggled to follow in my brother’s shadow. He’s 4 1/2 years older. In high school played basketball and football, was ripped, painted huge murals in the weight room, owned several businesses when he graduated, etc. He’s since been the Oklahoma Young Entrepeneur of the Year… Point made.
I tried to everything do be like him, to fulfill everyone’s expectations that I would be Clay Clark v2.0. But I wasn’t. It wasn’t till I stopped following in his path and comparing myself to him–trying to *be* him!–that I found joy in life.
This is an important topic for people stuck in that rut.
Thanks for sharing.
Carson – Thanks for reading the post. I’m glad it spoke to you.
good job Jason, I really liked this one. “To be yourself is all that you can do” – Chris Cornell
Thanks bro!
Nice post, Jason!
Thank you.
-Jason, this a wonderfully written article, very nice cous.
As you stated,”Finding who you are is the path to breaking away from the clutches of comparison.”
I totally agree. We have all been chosen by God, and each of us have been crafted by His hands. There is no one on this planet who is like You. God created you and I so differently and there is an amazing wonder to it all because you see, God not only fashioned us differently in the way we think or look, but He gave us different gifts and abilities to be used to bless His Kingdom. Now there maybe someone out there who says,” Well, I’m not really much to look at, and you know I don’t have any talents, so how am I speacial to God or for anyone for that matter”? Well, you are not alone to ask this question, and I understand this question. We base our self worth on who we are by the worlds standard. On a daily basis we are bombarded constantly with things such as: You must look this way in order to be attractive, you need this higher level of learning or salary to be “successful”. Your self worth must not be formulated by the ideology of the world. If you are struggling with who you are know that God made you very different from your neighbor or coworker. You may not be perfect in all you do. In the eye of the world you may not be that attractive, drive a fancy car, have a lot of wealth, or even have that perfect marriage, or ministry. But do you know what you have? You have You. There is nothing that can replace you. You have such value that God sent His Son Jesus to die for you. God does not want you to be someone other than who you are. If that were the case He would have created you into such a person. Learn to be content with who you are, and love yourself. Why? Because God Loves you. Remember Jesus died for the world but make it personal, Jesus died for You. There is such a freedom that comes when you can say that I’m no longer enslaved to the worlds standard, but I’m bound by the love of the Father and I will live -I am Free.
Thanks for taking the time to read the post Shawn and posting some additional thoughts.
Loved this one Jason. I really like the way that you think, and you made a difference in my life today with this post.
I find myself doing the comparrison thing much to often and you are 100% right about the fruit that it bears.
Really good !
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