9. Comparison is the Thief of Joy

I have a feeling that this will be a life-long struggle for me, but it's a lesson that I continually have to learn. 

I don't know if we have it worse than previous generations because of social media, but I feel like the comparison game is strong. Everywhere I look, I'm reminded that I'm not a good enough mom or wife, I'm a worthless Christian, a complete domestic failure, and totally inept at all things fashion/beauty - at least compared to everyone around me!

Half of my friends are Beach Body coaches, posting about their 11 mile runs and their protein shake meals. "Who needs french fries when you can have this delicious protein shake?" (That only costs $95!)  Yeah, Lucy just asked me if I'm having another baby . . .

Another group of my friends is posting pictures of their canned applesauce and tomato sauce and green beans. I got canned peaches for 69 cents at Meijer yesterday. That counts as canning, right?

Then there's the girl who posts a selfie with the caption "Running errands with the kids today!" And she's totally glammed. Hair curled. Make-up on. Kids dressed in matching clothes and loaded into the Escalade. This is my kids and me running errands:

And then there are the pictures of candlelight dinners, fabulous vacations, Pinterest-worthy birthday cakes, and steaming coffee cups next to open Bibles.

But here's the thing . . . what people choose to post on social media is just that: a choice. No one willingly posts pictures where their double chin is the size of Texas or their kids have snot pouring down their faces or they're elbow deep in a bag of Cheetos while googling "How to get rid of warts." Haha. This quote has changed so much for me:

Everyone has bad days and ugly moments. Everyone has laundry piles and whiny kids and mundane evenings sitting on the couch scrolling through facebook. Just because we can't see it doesn't mean it's not there. And just because people look put-together and perfect on social media doesn't mean their life is better than yours.

I'm not against sharing our accomplishments and happy moments on facebook. If I ran 11 miles you better believe I'd do some bragging about it! And I'm as guilty of using the Instagram filter as anyone. But I'm also a big fan of transparency. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I'm a mess. I have depression and a gut and an unhealthy addiction to sugar. My kids don't eat vegetables. I don't know how to curl my hair. I can't remember the last time I mopped my kitchen floor. But people stop me all the time and tell me that they love how real I am in my blog. I think people are desperate to know they're not alone.

So my advice to you - whether I actually keep it or not - is this: refuse to let comparison steal your joy. And remember Proverbs 14:30 -- "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."

To see more from my Write31Days series, click the image below: