Have you lived up to the opportunities that were given to their fullest potential?
The Same Starting Line
Everyone has a different starting line. It’s a fundamental human tendency to measure our progress by looking at those beside us. people who stood exactly where you did. The one who went to the same school, sat in the same lectures and shared your social circle.
When you have everything in common, you have to wonder: why did they eventually step into a much bigger picture? This realisation often breeds deep internal self-doubt.
You find yourself questioning: Did I not study hard enough? Did I sacrifice enough sleep, enough meals, or enough of my sanity? In our darkest moments, we wonder. Were they simply God’s favourites to have achieved so much?
Comparison of Success
The definition of ‘normal’ varies for everyone. And it is entirely subjective. What do you truly wish to be?
Rich? To what extent?
Popular? Known by whom?
Everyone wishes to be dripping in wealth. To bear a meaning beyond simply existing.
But how does one decide the ‘extent’ of things?
It’s human nature to yearn for something unattainable; consequently, finding contentment becomes a profound challenge.
Mirror of Envy
Think of the effort people put in, only to fail. Behind every winner is a trail of ghosts haunted by their dreams. Comparison is never-ending; it traps you on a treadmill, and your life is driven by the shadows of others.
Harbouring comparison-driven jealousy taught me one thing: these negative energies only surface when you are unhappy with your life. Instead of fixating on others, one should focus on oneself.
Jealousy and grudges are symptoms of an internal struggle; we project our unhappiness onto others. It’s natural to feel these emotions. They are, after all, what makes us human.
However, at the end of the day, our actions are what truly define us. Do you want to spend your last moment revising the past, wishing you had done things differently? Ultimately, we must ask ourselves: can we find peace in the present? Your path is unique because your priorities are unique.
Bright Side: What Truly Matters
Are you going to sulk your life away?. Accepting that each individual is on their own unique journey initiates the ‘bright’ side of the struggle.
Embrace the truth. Stop comparing your ‘behind the scenes’ to someone else’s ‘highlight reel’. When you measure your life against a single angle of another person’s success, you rob yourself of the time needed to actually grow.
Look backward: would the younger version of you be proud of who you are today? In the end that is the only comparison that matters.
We ask how others stepped into a bigger picture without understanding the concept of ‘invisible variables’. We can’t control every factor of our lives. Even among those sitting in the same lectures, one might have a better support system than others or a different brand of luck.
We often blame our lack of ‘sacrifice’ when, in reality, output isn’t always in a direct 1:1 ratio to suffering.
If your life feels slow, it does not mean you’re behind. It means you’re being built for something that is entirely your own. Stop asking, ‘Why them?’ Start asking, ‘What is the purpose of my life?’
How many lives have been wasted in envy instead of being boldly lived in purpose? Promise yourself: on your deathbed, when you will be left with nothing, staring into the abyss, you will be content with how you lived your life on your own merits, independent of surrounding influence.