Do you ever get the feeling that everyone around you is just better? Better students, better friends, better artists, cooks, writers, people — Everyone’s better.

And then, there you are: small, fragile, invisible.

We waste a great deal of time and energy by putting other people’s lives under a microscope, examining the details, analyzing, making connections, comparing, and asking ourselves: “What’s missing in my life?”

What’s missing is our focus. Sometimes we get so ingrained in the external that we neglect the internal. We underestimate our abilities; we put ourselves down; we deem ourselves incompetent; we feel unworthy of our success; we berate our performance; we consider ourselves inadequate.

We often forget that although we commenced from the same starting line, we move at different speeds due to factors like our environment, upbringing, social circles, education, personal characteristics and trials that we encounter-things that are mostly out of our control. So it is unreasonable and illogical for us to compare ourselves with people on entirely different journeys. It only puts us in this vicious and exhausting cycle of self-doubt that will eventually sabotage our self-respect.

Instead of looking at others’ prosperity and feeling so inadequate, learn to celebrate their wins while recognizing yours as well. Learn to pat yourself on the back when you achieve no matter how minuscule it seems. Learn to acknowledge your work and not wait for someone to give you the appreciation you deserve. Do not be afraid to start again, no matter how many times you’ve fallen previously; determination is a quality of the fierce. Embrace the journey and be proud of every stepping-stone; it’ll all lead you to that marvellous ‘bigger picture’.