#87: Self-Comparison

A BRIEF MEDITATION

Take a deep inhale, breathing in the open sky. You are standing in a vast field, surrounded by sunflowers beaming with life.

These magnificent flowers do not look to the left or to the right. Their gaze is fixed solely on the sunlight, the true source of nourishment and joy.

Visualize yourself as a sunflower in that field. Feel your roots grounding you to the earth, providing stability and strength. Your face, like every sunflower in the field, turns towards the sunlight, absorbing the energy and warmth that fuels your growth.

➜ Go to your dashboard*

_{*Add photo to your dashboard by going to Settings (gear-shaped icon in the lower left-hand corner) > Photos > +Add Photo. Don’t have Plus? Start a free trial here!}

MANTRA BREAKDOWN

In our world full of screens, it's easy to get caught up wanting the life we see online.

A friend's new job or promotion. An influencer posing in the Amalfi coast. A video tour displaying the seemingly perfect interior of a celebrity's home.

Imagine, for a moment, if you could snap your fingers and get everything you see.

If you think about it, you might realize something pretty profound: getting all those things wouldn't actually make you happy. Certainly not for long.

The fancy images and videos we like are just like echoes (or illusions, really) of the happiness we're after. It's the energy and emotions we believe those things contain.

The real deal—feeling good about yourself, feeling loved, happy, and fulfilled—is an inside job.

By nurturing and expanding the light and presence within, you tap into your own power source.

You start to feel completely okay just as you are (great, even!), and suddenly, chasing after certain looks, achievements, or popularity doesn't seem that important anymore.

It's a cliché because it's true: Everything you want, you already have. Noticing this is the first step.

BREAK THE ILLUSION OF COMPARISON

• "Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens." – Carl Jung

• "There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost." – Martha Graham

• "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

➜ Go to my dashboard*

_{*Add mantra (or quotes) to your dashboard by going to Settings (gear-shaped icon in the lower left-hand corner) > choose Mantras or Quotes > Add Mantra/Quote. Don’t have Plus? Start a free trial here!}

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THE ULTIMATE ANTIDOTE TO SELF-COMPARISON

Ever wonder why you can't help but compare yourself to others?

It's not just about your social media consumption. Let's consider why you're drawn to consuming & comparing in the first place.

Often, the root of self-comparison is lacking a clear sense of your own path. Feeling lost drives you to look at other people's lives for direction, leading to the dreaded comparison trap.

This week, instead of just suggesting limiting social media (though doing so will make matters much easier for you!), we want to focus on the most powerful tool in your arsenal: purpose.

When you start focusing on your purpose, your self-comparison habit falls away. The urge fades when you understand that they’re on their path, and you’re on yours.

Don't know where to start? Click here to explore a previous issue on purpose. Use the powerful prompts to help uncover what truly matters to you.

MOMENTUM TIP OF THE WEEK

One of the most powerful guardrails from falling into the comparison trap is gratitude.

With repetition, we can rewire our brain on a cognitive and behavioral level, shifting from dissatisfaction/inadequacy ("This is not enough/I am not enough") to self-acceptance & abundance ("I am more than enough/This is more than enough.”)

During each gratitude session, list out 3 things you're grateful for. The more specific & mundane they are, the more satisfying and robust your gratitude practice will become.

To stay consistent, Momentum Metrics can help track your daily gratitude practice.

Bonus tip #1: Anchor it to an existing morning habit to ensure consistency, like doing it after a meditation or making your coffee.

Bonus tip #2: If you like to keep a record of all the things you're grateful for this month, create a Gratitude List in your Momentum Notes (found in the lower right-hand corner of the dashboard).

IT’S ALL GOOD (NEWS)

Here are a few stories that may spark curiosity and wonder. ✨

• 🧠 Health: First Child Cured of Rare Brain Tumor “Offers Real Hope”

• 🧳 Labor Rights: Michigan’s Historic “Right-To-Work” Repeal Goes Into Effect

• 🌲 Biodiversity: England's Biodiversity Policy Requires Builders To Compensate for Loss of Nature

• 🔋 Sustainability: Super Bowl 58 To Be the First Fully Powered by Renewable Energy