The truth is, we’ve all been there. Maybe they’re your best friend, maybe they’re the popular person in your school, or maybe they’re just super hardworking and always achieving things you’d like to achieve too? Either way, it’s all the same situation.

Comparing ourselves to others is natural. There’s even an argument in favor of jealousy that many people use, which motivates you to do better. But I think the glaringly obvious fault in that statement is that while you may be achieving great things on the outside, on the inside you’re becoming bitter, and losing self-awareness for your own achievements because you’re constantly trying to beat someone else.

We’ve either done it ourselves or seen other people do it. The person who is insecure about their own body is making it extremely clear that they’re judging someone else, who they assume isn’t. The person who isn’t doing as well in school and feels like a "failure", talks behind the person's back who dedicates hours out of their day to do so well. Forming an unbiased opinion on the people around you to make constructive criticisms of what you believe to be "right" or "wrong", isn’t bad. What is, however, is looking at someone else and feeling negatively toward them because they seem to be achieving what you want to achieve, which, in turn, makes you feel negative about yourself.

So to the person who is feeling jealous or less than someone else --- I want to tell you something.

If you feel this way because the person in your life is intentionally trying to make you feel inferior, then you need to seriously reconsider their place in your life. Maybe it’s time for a serious discussion, or to cut them out of your life completely; then start building your own confidence and become the person you want to be. Not for her, not for him, but for yourself.

If this isn’t the case though, then I want to share some advice based on personal experience. If you’re ever feeling as though someone else has achieved more than you, use that moment as an opportunity to create goals for yourself. Become more self-aware of what you want, work toward it, and maybe even go up to the person and befriend them. Turn your jealousy towards someone into an opportunity for inspiration. Chances are, they could be really nice and respectful towards you and help you reach your goals.

If I see someone who is in better shape than me, I would ask them for workout advice or their sources for motivation. If someone is getting better grades or better feedback for their work, then I would ask them how they were able to get to that point. If someone has more money than you, make a goal for yourself to work hard enough to someday create that luxury for yourself. Be inspired by others, not jealous.

As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."