I Know This To Be True

Mariel Witmond
Mariel Witmond

19 December, 2018

I Know This To Be True

For those of you that feel like you’re perpetually behind schedule, that things aren’t going the way they were “meant” to be, that feel as though everyone else is doing something with their lives and you are not, that maybe it’s too late and you missed the boat… let me tell you, you are not alone…

And you are wrong.

It’s hard not to compare our lives with those of others, to see their successes as our own failures; their haves for our have nots. They say that comparison is the thief of joy for a reason: we use comparison to highlight and reaffirm what we don’t like about ourselves and the lives we are living. What we fail to see is that comparison is a dead end road that will take us nowhere. You don’t know the life you are comparing yours to. What is seen superficially is rarely what exists below the surface. And you will start using it as an excuse if you’re not careful.

No one has it all figured out and everyone had to start somewhere.

Instead of allowing fear to keep us small, what if we could shift our perspective inwards to those things that encourage us towards our highest self? What if we used inspiration instead of comparison? Admiration over jealousy?

With this in mind, let me tell you what I know to be true:

  • It’s never too late to start over.
  • Age is just a number.
  • Love is the answer and it’s start within.
  • You are capable of whatever you set your mind to.
  • The grass is not greener on the other side. It’s simply different.
  • We are all fighting our own personal battles. Let that reality unite us in our shared humanity.
  • You help yourself by helping others.
  • You can live the life of your dreams.

When we stop using others as the excuse for what is holding us back, we create the sacred space we need to become who we want to be and to live the life we want to live. Next time you find yourself comparing yourself to someone else, try the following:

  1. Ask yourself if what you see is the complete picture.
  2. When you realise what you feel is jealousy, ask yourself what it would feel like if instead of jealousy, you found admiration in that person’s accomplishment and felt inspired and motivated by their achievements.
  3. If the person (whether in your life or someone you follow) continues to make you feel bad about yourself, you may want to consider removing them from your life.

I love the saying: “If you don’t like where you are, move. You are not a tree.” You have control over the experiences you are living. It all stems from the mind, from the way we choose to see things. We can be very good at finding excuses, endless reasons for what holds us back, but ultimately the only thing standing in your way is you.

So tell me, are you ready to get moving?

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