Comparisons

My son introduced me to a blog with a podcats recently that I have been enjoying, called Simple Life Together. ( http://simplelifetogether.com/ ) This morning the Hayes’ discussed the issue of the human tendency to compare ourselves to others. I just want to  share the comment that I wrote after listening:

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“Great Podcast again. I am a parent educator and I find young parents are hungry for simplicity.
My favorite line about the comparison trap…”It ends when we say it ends (and) we can’t end it for anyone else”. That applies to soooo many other things. It reminds me of the phrase: “Be the change.” When it comes to changing the world, living our convictions works way better than judgment and criticism.”

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I didn’t specify what I meant by “soooo many things” in my comment, but I will mention one of these here. I am soooo tired of people who find it necessary to comment on other people’s way of life or their beliefs. It is most painful when I see it in the world of faith and religion. Whether it is comment about a celebrity’s mistakes or a person’s decision to live a particular lifestyle, I find it annoying, creepy, and even dangerous. Speaking religiously, it is the pointing out of the twig in someone else’s eye while not seeing the plank in one’s own. It is the judgment, judgment, judgment that Jesus condemned.

It doesn’t matter what you call it: “finding God’s will in my live”, “discovering one’s purpose on earth”, “following the inner spirit”, everyone is on their own journey of self-discovery. We need to give space to one another for this important work.

And to reiterate…we make change in the world only when we first live the change for which we hope.