The other day as I was on Facebook I noticed that a page that started around the same time as mine and had less fans then mine now had more. Through the grapevine I found out a business that similar to mine had an opportunity I did not. From a friend I learned of a project I was not asked to be a part of. I wondered what was wrong with me? Why wasn’t I getting all the opportunities, offers and business? A friend’s business is off to a great start and I can hardly get mine off the ground. What am I doing wrong? Doubts flooded my head and I began to feel the pang of failure.
Have you ever felt that way?
I had lost focus on my achievements, opportunities and business because I started to focus on the success of others. Worse, I began to grow envious and allow that to place doubt about my abilities. Focusing on others will lead you down the wrong road. We need to rejoice in our achievements and rejoice in the achievements of others. Once I got my head on straight I looked again guess what? The Facebook page I mentioned is also one of my favorites and she deserves every bit of success. The business that had an opportunity also deserved it. The project I was not a part of was something I had no time for anyway and not really in my area of expertise. Seeing my friend do well in her business brought me great joy. The trouble in my heart is that I was not savoring my own accomplishments. I was working so hard and furiously that I had not taken the time to savor my own opportunities, projects and success.
If you begin to compare yourself to someone else just stop doing it. You are not that person and that person is not you. If you spend time focusing on someone else you will become lax in your own work. Take a few minutes and reflect on where you started and where you are today. Take note of the successes, the clients, the projects, and friends you have made along the way. Sure you may need to improve, have a lot to learn, and could go farther but none of that will come unless the focus is on you and not them.