As the old saying goes, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Until recently, I never really thought about this with much depth, but the more I ponder this idea, the more I seem to agree with it. It can be so easy to compare ourselves to others. Whether it is looks, lifestyle, relationships or belongings, spending time wishing that we had what others have is simply a waste of time. It stops us from embracing all of the amazing things we have been blessed to have in our personal lives and keeps us from building on the things in our lives that are worthwhile.

There is joy waiting for you in your own life that gets completely overlooked when you spend time thinking about what life would be like if you looked like another person or if you had what they have. In the grand scheme of it all, we can't change the cards we've been dealt. You are who you are for a reason, and that's AMAZING! There is no one else in the world that thinks exactly like you do, no one who has the EXACT SAME interests, friends, experiences or belongings. If you ask me, that's pretty darn cool. That's something to be celebrated.

All this being said, embrace what you have rather than wishing for things you can't change. We need to learn to love the life we have, rather than trying to make it into something it wasn't intended to be. You are beautifully unique, and it would be a shame if you missed the opportunity to live from your own perspective because you were trying so hard to be someone else.

However, If what you want is something you can attain, WORK FOR IT! Don't waste precious time sitting around and wishing you had it when you could go out and make the change you want in your life. Buy that thing. Shoot your shot with that relationship. Believe that you can and you will just make sure you're doing it for you and no one else.

Although comparing ourselves to others seems to be an epidemic, sometimes the harshest comparisons we make are to who we used to be or how things used to be. If there's one thing you take from this article, let it be this: you are your own incredible person, one who is growing and learning as they go. You have experienced what you have for a reason, but the moments you have had in the past have all lead you to this moment. If we spent our whole lives in one stage, in one moment, we would make no progress whatsoever.

So make the progress. Stop wishing you were a different version of yourself because that person is the one who brought you where you are right now. If you're in a place you don't like, use the tools you've acquired to make yourself into a happier version of you. Clearly, we all still have a lot of growing to do, but we wouldn't learn to get where we're headed without hitting a few bumps on the way there.

Be the best you that you can be. The story ends better that way, I promise.