Whenever I'd hear people say “Stay in Your Lane” to someone I would think “Oh, wow, that sounds kind of harsh!” When people hear those four words they think “He/she is telling me to mind my own business or get out of their way." I’ve learned that staying in your own lane actually helps you! Recently, I had to take a break from social media because I was so frustrated with myself. You see your peers out doing great things and you think to yourself “What am I doing wrong?” I was comparing my work, my business, my finances, and success to another person’s. I remember when I graduated from high school and I was awarded "Student of the Year" award for my Business Education Department at our senior awards ceremony. I was recognized because of my hard work and high GPA and for winning two awards at our state business competition. I was so proud and honored about receiving this award… until I went onto Facebook and saw that one of the friends was Valedictorian of her class. I didn’t post anything about the award on Facebook because I thought that my award was “too small.” This continued on into my college career when I was away from my high school peers and surrounded by new people. Then there’s the award ceremony, the president’s list, and the constant emails for the student success spotlight newsletter. I made the dean’s list three years in a row, served on committee chairs for several organizations, and was even invited to a highly competitive conference for finance students. But I still found some way to compare myself. I didn’t want to congratulate my peers or shake their hands. I wanted to out beat them and take away their spotlight. Sounds terrible but that was my old mindset a few years ago. I applied for the same scholarships, the same internships, took the same classes and even changed my minor just so people would think that I was just as smart. It took me until my Junior year to realize that I was trying to copy cat someone else’s success and make it my own. I wanted the fame and the “Proud of you” comments under my posts. I wanted the reposts and all the recognition I was not receiving from my own family. Growing up my grandmother would always compare me to my cousins. “Why are you not smart like her?” “You need to read more books like them!” “She’s going to make her parents proud someday!” So I studied hard, I made Principal’s Scholars and got "Hardest Working Student" award, but still didn’t get the same results. Now I’m in my senior year of college and I’m trading comparison for daily growth and self-improvement. I had to unfollow some people not because I didn’t like them but because I envied their success. I would get heated whenever I saw someone else win and that is not healthy. I still support people and congratulate them on their success because I would want the same thing for me. But I had to take myself out of the trap that I was creating for myself. I was comparing myself, my work, my business, my finances and everything else in between.

When we’re always comparing ourselves to our peers we miss out on our own blessings. We forget how amazing and truly blessed we are! Don’t get me wrong but sometimes you have to unfollow people in real life, and that’s okay. But what’s not okay is beating yourself up because you’re not as successful as someone else. Remember people will shout their successes, but whisper their failures! We’re all successful in our own way. You have to define success for yourself, not how another person perceives it! We were all given special gifts to use and manifest for the glory of God. Stay in your lane is not harsh criticism, it’s constructive feedback! It’s reminding you that you’re too busy trying to swerve into someone else’s lane when you’re not even heading to the same destination. This year my peers will be applying for high paying jobs at Fortune 500 companies and preparing for Grad school. Which is great and all but that might not be what God has in store for me. I trust God with my future and my gifts, and I know that he has a great plan for me! We are all unique so why would he give us the same path as someone else! Someone might be smarter than you, prettier than you, or more confident than you, but they are not YOU and that is your power! It’s okay to get inspired but don’t waste your time trying to become someone else. Stay in your lane and keep driving in your own path. Don’t take a detour into comparison or you will end up with deep depression. Work on yourself, find your great, GROW daily, and live life by your own terms. That is true success! Stay in your lane and LEARN there!