“I’M NOT AS GOOD AS…”
We all have that voice that pops in our head from time to time that says “I’m not as good as [fill the blank]”.
ALL of us, there’s nothing wrong with you.
How many times we look at Instagram and feel guilty and “less than” because our paintings are not as good as…
our body doesn’t look like…
our accomplishments are not as…
Whatever external validation is our poison of choice, the list is endless.
Comparing ourselves to others can be incredibly TOXIC, diminishing and stressful. It can create this image in our head that later, as Stoics and Marisa Peer say, become our reality. Now we’re stuck, demotivated and inadequate.
It’s time to realize a few things:
1- What you see on Instagram is a HIGHLY EDITED COLLECTION OF HIGHLIGHTS. More often than not, people don’t have the perfect life they project or we don’t know what they did to get where they are.
We all have different paths, choices and priorities in life.
2- Stop comparing yourself to others and compare yourself only to THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF.
Visualize it vividly; that is your role model to mold your behavior and perception upon.
The only competition there is, is WITH OURSELVES, to do better than yesterday within measurable standards
PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION.
3- Exchange EXPECTATION with APPRECIATION.
It’s that simple. When we shift our attention towards GRATITUDE, much of that anxiety melts away. This new energy feeds us, rather than draining us.
Many young artists are deprived of realizing their full potential by these limiting beliefs and negative self talk, that’s the real shame. True achievements are not only the fruits of skills, talent and experience but mostly MINDSET. Dedicating time to cultivate your mental game can bring some serious change in what you can achieve and how you live the whole process.
Below you can find some links to material that can help you start this journey of self awareness.
Let’s start realizing that we are capable of much more than we think and let’s manifest that unexpressed potential for success and, most importantly, for happiness.
GREAT BOOK TO START DIGGING INTO STOICISM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Obstacle_Is_the_Way
LIFE CHANGING, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16098910-letting-go
HOW TO BE A FRIEND TO YOURSELF
HOW SOCIAL MEDIAS CHANGE YOUR BRAIN
PHILIP MCKERNAN: AUTHENTICITY
MARISA PEER: TRAINING YOUR MIND
BRENÉ BROWN: THE POWER OF VULNERABILITY