Better than.

Comparison is the death of joy, according to Mark Twain. I'm thinking that he's right.
I know I've talked about comparing ourselves to other people here before, but this quote struck me and reminded me of some recent conversations with clients.

When we're not where we want to be in life, it's really easy to start comparing ourselves to others. To think that we should be different than we are, to desire so much to be out of our situation and more like others that we see around us. The truth, however, is that everyone is struggling in some aspect of their lives. It's just that some people hide it better than others. If you're not a good hider, you might seem more vulnerable than others. But don't let that fool you.

When it comes to wanting to be better, or different, than you are right now think about it this way... the only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday. You are never going to be able to wave a magic wand and be instantly different. You aren't going to wake up tomorrow morning and be completely changed. Being better than who you were yesterday (whether it involves taking better care of your body, taking better care of the people you care about, being more mindful of the way you speak to yourself) is the only way to make changes. Just one step at a time. Just one moment at a time.

Have patience with who you are. Embrace your capability to change. But just be better than who you were yesterday.