How To Overcome Comparison

A while back I came across an image on social media. The image was of two different flowers talking to each other, one pink and one slightly smaller yellow flower. The pink flower was complimenting the yellow flower’s petals and the yellow replied back with “thanks! I feel like I’m blooming way slower than you, though”. To this the pink flower replied back with “we’re different flowers, silly”. Simple but very loud. Immediately I thought wow, so many times we look at other people, whether it be friends, family, celebrities, or people we see on social media and we compare. We compare our looks, style, lives, you name it. Comparison comes in all sorts of different shapes and sizes and can be experienced by just about anyone. It’s not subjected to a gender, age, or status. Everyone experiences it and I’m sure all the top celebrities have too. But God, using this image, gave me an analogy which really helped me see the uniqueness in each person. It made me see how we’re not competing anyone but that everyone is on a different journey, equally as beautiful.

Before we dive into this analogy, just picture yourself in a field with different types of flowers. All different colours, shapes, and sizes. Beautiful, am I right? And if you were to pick just one? Errr, not so easy. They’re just all so beautiful in their own way. Well, we too are like these different flowers. We are all different shapes, sizes, colours but we are just as beautiful as each other. So many times, we look for trends, we try to look like this person or that person but forget that we were created differently, each uniquely beautiful; each bringing a different type of beauty into the field of flowers. I mean, imagine if the field was filled with flowers of the same kind? Wouldn’t it be pretty boring? Well, thank God He made us all different! Thank God He gave us different features, different hair, different personalities. So, be different, be you; you add more flavour than you think!

Different Seasons

And of course, as well as beauty, flowers have different seasons to each other. A little info about me, I’m a plant person. I love flowers and all different kinds of plants, and I quite enjoy growing them too. During university I wanted to grow my first plant but was saddened at the limited choice I had as they all had different growing seasons. Some plants had a faster growing rate than others and some had an earlier start. I ended up choosing parsley; in case you wanted to know. But it got me thinking, just like flowers, we too have different seasons to each other. Sometimes it feels like we are blooming way slower than others but just like the image said, “we’re different flowers, silly”. We have different growing rates and seasons. Just because another person’s season has arrived doesn’t mean that yours won’t come- God has a season for you too, just at a different time.

Either way, no matter how long it takes, all flowers eventually grow, provided they receive the right nutrients of course. But whether it’s a job, education, career path, promotion, partner or whatever it is. It’s all in the timing. God’s timing. The key is patience and trust. And of course, looking after yourself. Water yourself with the right nutrients-God’s truth. His word is a powerful tool and it is what gives us life. And with my parsley plant- I was quite patient and caring and slowly it grew and flourished. In fact, it grew so much that I had to transfer it to several bigger pots. It was crazy!

The Reality Of Social Media

Though this analogy has opened my eyes to the beauty of difference, when it comes to social media, I know it can be a little discouraging and certainly overwhelming at times. Comparison can slowly start to kick in. But we must understand that social media really only shows you a microscopic view. A picture doesn’t tell you much about the background or context. It’s just a picture that shows you a second of a person’s day. Videos are more or less the same. I’m not gonna lie, I can probably go through my posts and point out photos where at the time I was probably going through something rough, but still posted a picture where it seemed like my life was some-what great. Not intentional but it happens. I mean we usually only post the good times and even that, the picture itself can only tell you so much. No one posts about the bad times and so we immediately think that a person’s life must be perfect just from a few posts. But even in that, sometimes what you see isn’t always what is. I think we tend to forget that social media can be deceptive at times. I mean it isn’t all bad. It can be informative, edifying, and positive but we must also be aware that sometimes it really can distort reality.

Different But Equally As Important

Nevertheless, this analogy has helped me and continues to help me see comparison in a different way. Just like flowers, we were all created differently. We are all unique and beautiful in our own way and have different seasons and ways of growing. Each of us look different, have different missions, seasons and are on different paths. But if you really think about it, all of these differences pretty much leads to the same destination. I’m no expert on flowers but though all flowers may be different, besides beauty, they all have an important part to play in the environment. In the same way, though we may be different, we all have an important role to play in God’s plan.  

But yes, at times, it can be hard to avoid feelings of insecurity and all the feelings that come with comparison, but this is when you have to remind yourself of God’s truth. That God made you in His perfect image and likeness. You are His child and everything He made and makes is good, including you! So, whatever distinctive quality, feature, season, or mission God has given you, embrace it! For roses are beautiful and sunflowers are just as beautiful too.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made- Psalm 139:14

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