Newsletter Archive #2: Comparisons Kill
The difference between helpful comparisons and useless complaining – Originally published on April 29th, 2018
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Let’s talk about comparisons.
The mind is a useful tool. It is meant to help us make intentional, purposeful comparisons. If we can end it there, we’ll be fine.
The problem is that the mind rarely lets us put it up when we are done using it.
It starts spinning out other things until it finds something that catches our attention.
Random songs, memories, opinions, to-do lists, and comparisons.
So, so many comparisons.
And not useful ones like the different pricing tiers on our internet plan, but complaints masquerading as useful comparisons.
I wish it was warmer.
I wish it was cooler.
If only it was the weekend.
If only my husband looked like that guy from Thor.
I wish my kids were better athletes.
I need to move to Los Angeles or Austin.
Our mind is always working to make sure we are getting the best deal possible. This is great in survival situations, but not so much when the only thing at stake is our level of contentment or how pacified our ego feels.
So, with all of this in mind, here are this week’s journal prompts:
Journal Prompts:
Morning:
· What am I not looking forward to today?
· What am I comparing it to?
· What would this thing/event/task look like without comparison?
Evening:
· Where did comparisons cause me to suffer today?
· Am I idealizing anything in these comparisons?
· Are there things that I can change that I’m not?
What I’m working on:
Along with saying no to things, I am really working on finishing what I start before moving on to something else. I am in the middle of literally 40 books, I am listening to 8 different books on Audible, and I have hundreds of thousands of words worth of unfinished blog posts and articles.
I enjoy the beginning of things when they are new, but don’t do a good job of finishing them. I have decided to clean this all up and start finishing one thing out before starting another to build a little more discipline in my life. It’s not an easy change to make, but it’s necessary.
Thank you for taking the time to read this every week! Let me know if you have ideas for future posts or topics I can explore. If you find this useful, I would appreciate you recommending it to others who might also find it useful.
Thanks again, take care.
James