COMPARE – To examine the character or qualities
of 2 or more things, in order to discover the similarities or differences
When I first began crossfit I noticed that I constantly compared myself to the people I was working out with. Each time I walked in the box (gym) I would mentally scroll through my comparison checklist. Were my fellow crossfitters younger or older, smaller or bigger, stronger or weaker, faster or slower? The comparisons made me aware of the drastic differences between us in skill level, physique, speed and strength, and I was always on the losing side of the comparison.
We all do this – we compare ourselves to other people! We do this at work, with our neighbors, at the gym, with friends, at the grocery store – everywhere! We do it consciously, with purpose…..and often times we do it subconsciously, without even realizing we are doing it.
The problem isn’t in the comparing itself,
The problem is what we do with the information we gather
from our comparisons
When we compare ourselves to someone else, we allow the similarities and differences to mean something about ourselves. Based on the differences we discover, we are either better than or not as good as someone. The more similar we find ourselves, the more equal we feel, as though we match up.
We use our comparisons to determine our own self worth.
My daily comparison to others during the early part of my crossfit journey was incredibly deflating. I was, without a doubt, the most out of shape, the slowest, and the weakest one there. My continual comparison to the other crossfitters made me feel inadequate to a point that I almost quit, rather than continue to feel ‘less than’ everyone else.
Then one day I noticed a man favoring his shoulder during warm ups and it occurred to me that I didn’t know anything about his personal journey. I didn’t know if he was recovering from an injury, how long his shoulder had bothered him, if he’d had surgery – I didn’t know a single thing about his story. All I knew when I compared myself to him was that he appeared to be fit, strong, and athletic…he appeared to be everything I was not.
Each of us is on our own individual journey
We shouldn’t compare our journey with someone else’s journey
Our journey is OUR journey – it’s NOT a competition!
On that very day, instead of wanting to quit crossfit, I chose instead to surrender to my body’s limitations and to stop comparing myself to the other crossfitters. They didn’t know my story, and chances are I didn’t know theirs.
There are plenty of times that I still fall into the habit of comparing myself to others, both in and out of the gym. I will probably struggle with this human quality for as long as I live. But being aware of when I make comparisons now gives me the opportunity to choose to stop.
We all desire to be better, but typically that is in comparison to someone else. The person we should be comparing ourselves to is US! Strive to be a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday. Let your self worth be defined by YOUR personal growth and development.
This is NOT a crossfit conversation, this is a life conversation. Crossfit just happens to be where I first realized the negative impact of comparisons, but it translates into all areas of our lives.
How often do you compare yourself to other people?
What areas of your life do you most often make comparisons?
What do you make those comparisons mean about you and your self worth?
You can journal the old fashion way with paper and pencil, or if you prefer technology, simply use the notepad section on your phone, iPad or computer. Either way, I ‘d encourage you to take note of what role comparisons play in your life. Before we can change something about ourselves, we must first be aware of it.
with Joy & Gratitude,
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