My strength does not take away from your strength. My qualities do not diminish your qualities. My humor does not shadow your humor. My talents do not expose your lack of talents. My physical features do not mask yours. My being does not threaten yours. My ideas, my victories, and my accomplishments do not take away from yours. My pure existence does not ignore your existence, so why then do we act as though taking from others makes us stronger than building with others?

Understanding that my strength does not take away from you strength is a lesson taught so silently, yet somehow all we learn is, naturally, comparison . Comparison is so exhausting; it’s like picking yourself apart just to tear someone else down, which leaves you both with nothing. Who cares if someone else gets an enormous amount of attention for something they are good at? Who cares if someone is shown love from everyone around them constantly? Who cares if someone can eat the burger without worrying about it going to their hips? Virtually nothing you observe of other people has anything to do with you. When you spend so much time staring at someone else’s green gas, you’re just neglecting to water your own.

Of course comparison resides in all of us; it’s a pesky little voice deep in our minds. We may never get rid of comparison, but we get to choose whether it determines our actions or not. We get to choose what we express to others and how we treat others. Choosing to build someone up rather than display their flaws and make them feel less than everything does nothing for you, and it does nothing for them. Choosing to feel threatened by someone else’s strength does more damage than it does to change the situation.

True strength is recognizing others for all they have to offer. True strength is distinguishing yourself from others, not rising above but connecting with. Real strength has the ability to give encouragement, praise, and help, because real strength has no need to feel threatened. Real strength has no reason to pull others apart. Real strength is whole; it is enlightened and it is encouraging. Strength is something we all posses but must choose to own. You have to look at yourself in the mirror first and accept all you see; if you can’t see the beauty there, then you won’t find it anywhere else. You have to accept that everyone has something unique to offer and that they’re suppose to share it, just like you; you must encourage them, not belittle them, or scare it away. Holding onto insecurity is a waste of your talents, making others small is a waste of your time. Being negative for no good reason just drains this world out of the amazing potential. My strength does not take away from your strength, so stop trying to take it away.