No comparison
“When you are content to be yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” ~Lao Tzu
Ours is a culture of competition. We have televised sports 24/7 — not to mention countless game shows, dancing and singing competitions, and cooking and baking contests. Whatever you like to do, there’s probably a trophy for it. There’s another team to conquer; another score to beat. To be your best, you gotta top somebody else. It’s all fun and games, of course — unless we take it too seriously.
Comparing and competing can be toxic. If we’re constantly trying to outperform someone else, we might lose track of what makes each of us beautifully unique. And if we’re always “one-upping” others in our conversation, we’re not as much fun to be around. As today’s quote reminds us, being your own best self is enough to earn the respect of others. Shine on, and let others shine too. ~CL
*** I’ll be posting less frequently on “Life Lines” while I work on other writing projects, including my free Substack columns, which offer a unique lifestyle/opinion perspective on current politics.
Cindy La Ferle
Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.
