7 things

A silly sign I love by the coffee machine is titled “Most Difficult Yet Comforting Things to Accept about Life”. There are 7 things. #3 states: “There is always someone better than you. So there’s no point to compare.” I think many people would read this and think it’s depressing. I find it uplifting and I think a big part of that is what that statement doesn’t say. It doesn’t say “so give up”, it doesn’t say “so work harder”. It simply suggests you accept and don’t compare. The benefit of not comparing should be self-evident. But the benefit of accepting is no less important. I’m heartened by the idea that there are people better than me at what I do. I gives me something to strive to, someone to learn from and most importantly, someone to seek out and collaborate with. But no less important, it reminds me that I don’t need to be the best, and that’s OK. Not being the best means you have room to get better. So just do your best and don’t compare.