Comparison and joy is something people have to choose between all the time. In this day in age, our entire life is put on the internet for people to see, love, judge, flatter, boost, etc. Everything we post is almost for the purpose of other people seeing it, ESPECIALLY for bloggers and influencers on the internet.
Speaking from my point of view, I created my Instagram to showcase my blog posts, outfits, and the content I've created. With that though, comes the pressures of seeing OTHER bloggers and influencers out there who are growing more rapidly, posting different kinds of pictures, styling different outfits. I'm gonna be honest... It's very hard to put so much time into creating content and writing blog posts and then have it not go anywhere. It's hard to know I'm doing all the things "by the book" that I should be doing, when susie sally over here isn't, but growing faster. That's called comparison. It's an ugly truth.
But then I realized something very important. I have to choose joy over comparison- especially on the Internet. I mean come on, the Internet isn't real life! It's not our memories, it's not our friendships, it's not our hardships and shortcomings- It's a snippet into our lives that only shows the good part. Instagram has both positive and negative sides to it- but I'm choosing to not let the negatives of comparison control my life or my content.
This got me thinking about how my readers/followers see me. I don't want them to think I have some perfect life and can only pick out a cute outfit every day. That's not my real life. I want my readers to see my posts and be able to relate to me and feel like they're my friend. We have to choose joy because comparison is the sole thief of joy. You don't have to compare yourself to these celebrities, Instagram models, or influencers. It's time we choose joy in our life and be real with ourselves. That's what my mission for 2018 is going to be- choose the joy, don't compare, and love yourself. Love yourself TOO much to be bothered by what others are posting or doing.
Loving yourself can mean a lot of different things and there are so many ways to love yourself. Everyone has things that they like/dislike about themselves but we need to start only focusing on the likes or loves rather than comparing ourselves to others.
Here are 5 things you can do to start loving yourself MORE (thus, helping you find the joys in your life)
-When you're getting ready to start the day, write or say 10 things you love about yourself ( 5 physical traits, 5 internal traits)
-Spend some time with yourself and do something you enjoy doing. If you're a reader, find a cozy quiet place to read. If you love to shop, go to that store you've been dying to go to. If you love the outdoors, go to that trail you love to walk. If you love to eat (like me lol), find a really fun restaurant to try. The point is, spend time with yourself. Really get to know yourself if you don't already. Knowing yourself completely will allow you to love yourself even more.
-Don't be afraid to deal with your emotions. Everyone has some things on their plate that burden them/ stress them out. It's okay to talk about these things or write these things down. Letting go of pain and anger will only leave room for the things you truly desire.
-Practice what ya preach- If you want to love yourself, you must be willing to love others. Life isn't meant to be gone through alone. Having good relationships to fall back on is a great way to give and receive love.
- Accept where you are at in life and choose to be content. If you're not, make the changes necessary to be content and happy. No one's life is going to be perfect but if you can find small joys in your daily life and feel appreciative of those things, you'll start to feel a little more love for yourself.
I hope you all enjoyed this post. I really love writing things like this and I hope my words leave you a little more encouraged than before. xo -Danielle