Comparing yourself to others,
creates empty needs.
Empty needs create greed and competition.
It goes two ways:
- … I can never be as good as …
- … I have to do this or that to reach …
(1) leads to sadness and depression, and possibly addiction as a replacement for the unreachable
(2) leads to greed and abuse on resources of self and of others. Reaching an intermediate level or the goal leads to pride.
Don’t be anyone else but yourself. Your own shoes will perfectly size you!
I love the message you deliver Bert I always enjoy what you share…just wanted to let you know! God bless my friend!
thank you for you supportive comment, always welcome
Love this post!
someone else’s shoes never quite fit do they !
They don’t, except when you have a twin …
Lol
So true! All thumbs for such an amazing post, and profound insights! Kudos!
Beautiful said and so true
Keep it up, my friend!
Here is something to add: http://iangardner.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/observe-observe-observe/ for what it is worth.
thank you for your time and your interesting links
some true words here bert
Well done, Bert.
a hard message to break.
Reblogged this on Niki.V.all.ways.My.way. and commented:
just this morning i was thinking about a trap that the motivational question, “how does it get better than this?” creates in the mind. even comparing one’s self with one’s potential self is a trap when it is a crutch that enables a empty need.
thx for the reblog – ‘it’ is always ‘now’ – now is what it is!
Amen to that Bert!
All too true… good to be reminded. And that is precisely why we cannot judge anyone– although we do. No one knows another’s mind, drives, problems, fantasies, handicaps, etc. etc. But you are right, comparison makes for unhappiness and has no good result except perhaps to inspire us to be more like those whose virtues we admire– or the opposite, unlike those whose faults we see.
When we see other’s faults, we often see ourselves (but in denial),
when we admire others, we often deny our own potential … but not always.
… this is our shadow.
If we could accept and incorporate our own shadow, we’d become whole,
and capable of working on ourselves.
So true… all of it!! Great reminder! Sometimes the shadow seems to engulf and leave one prone to despair– seeing so much to work on!
I recognize the feeling. However, progress is not gradual, but sometimes with great jumps at once.
Thanks, Bert, that gives hope!