My company is big on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. I actually am on the steering committee for the woman's employee resource group. It is a great bunch of women, who are trying to help each other progress. In today's corporate event, there was a statement that struck home.
It was "Wellness is progression, not perfection" I loved that statement. It is a great reminder that no one is perfect and while we can strive for perfection, we need to recognize how far we have come. It is so easy for us to get caught up on not reaching our goal that we forget how much progress we've actually made.
Another quote I really like is "Comparison is the Thief of Joy" Sometimes we compare ourselves to others and don't really know the whole story. Our perception is not always accurate.
I was in a situation once where, a woman at church was fairly distant towards me. I didn't let that bother me and was always cordial to her. She was one of the women at church that everyone wanted to be friends with. She was fairly well off, had good taste, and a nice home and car. She was a crafter as well.
Anyways, she had a daughter that was just a year older than mine. The girls went went to the same school. My daughter passed out in P.E. that day. After I was assured that my daughter was alright, I went to the women's activity at church. The woman who was always distant with me, came up and asked about my daughter, and wondered why I was at the activity. I filled her in on the facts and said I needed time with my sisters.
After that night, she and I got to be a lot more friendly. It turns out that she was intimidated by me. I was shocked. Why on earth would she be intimidated by me. I was a stay at home mom with 8 kids. Money was tight and we were struggling. Apparently, It was because from her point of view, I did everything and I did it well. I laughed at this, I didn't do anything that exceptionally well. While I did have a lot of skills I wouldn't have ever claimed to be an expert in anything. What I did do well is exude confidence that I could do anything.
I am glad we had the opportunity to get to know each other better before we moved away. But had she not been concerned about my daughter, we may have never gotten to know each other better. All because she was comparing herself to her image of me.
I am not someone who gets intimidated by other people's accomplishments. I must have gotten that from my parents. I was fortunate enough to know early on that doing my very best was good enough. I have also learned to not judge my accomplishments based on what others have done. That all leads to wellness.
Do you compare yourself to others unfairly? Or do you accept that your very best is good enough?
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