We are in a constant mode of comparing with others and it drains a lot of our energy.

This is exactly what we are constantly doing in our lives, we are in a constant mode of comparing with others and it drains a lot of our energy. 

We compete with others in order to prove that we are better and we often forget what we really want in the heat of trying to ''win''.   I see people working 80-hour work weeks because they are stuck in beating their competitors. In reality, they would rather come second or third and spend more time with their family.   I am not saying there is anything wrong with working hard. I am saying it is important to be aware of why you are doing something so you don't spend your whole life chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Are you doing it to become a better you or are you doing it to become better than someone else?   If you are in it for the actual journey, and you are enjoying yourself along the way, great. Just don't expect to reach a final destination where you are going to finally be content because you are now better than others.   

There is always going to be someone who is more attractive, wealthier, more intelligent, etc. It is a game you can't win and, by playing in a way where you can be better than someone, you are also playing in a way where you can be worse.   Everything is constantly shifting and if your worth is based on external conditions, your sense of worth is constantly going to go up and down. 

Isn't this how most people live their lives? 


The Mind-Made Prison: Radical Self Help and Personal Transformationn by Mateo Tabatabai