This is a guest DBT by the wonderful Jo Happiness-Howarth:
A few days ago my beautiful eldest daughter got in a flap about her school work.
She doesn’t usually get upset about school work but this time she did.
Why?
Because she listened to and compared herself to some of her school friends.
Some of them are completely up to date with all their work, setting time aside every day to make sure it’s done.
Some of them are getting top marks in everything (and letting everyone else know about it).
And some of them find it easy to do work that she might struggle with.
All of which sent my gorgeous girl into a bit of a spin. A spin that didn’t exist before she started her journey down comparison avenue.
But here’s the thing, none of her friends are my daughter and she is not any of them.
It really is as simple as that.
Before she started comparing her efforts to everyone else she was absolutely fine. And the reality is that all she can ever do is her best, not somebody else’s best.
Comparing herself to others holds no value whatsoever.
And the same goes for you.