,

To compete or be inspired.

It can be easy to see why comparing ourselves to others, whether it be someone else's looks, home, income, lifestyle, success (in its endless forms of measurement) seems to be a 'natural' tendency, but in actuality, it's not natural, it's nurtured as we are surrounded by messages of not being “enough” just as we are. And the good news is, if it has been nurtured, we can relearn new behaviors and habits that are more constructive.

To be able to compete on the playing field, the court, the pitch, or any other platform where a score is kept, but then leave it on the sports'/playing field is an example of living consciously. Yes, we are competing, but we're not comparing. Rather we are inspired by another player, another approach, and choose to then strengthen our own, harnessing our unique abilities, perhaps taking a bit of inspiration from a variety of different talents, and being grateful for the chance to bear witness so that our lives and our abilities may expand to reach their full potential.

In other words, choosing to be inspired rather than to compare, and thus to not carry the competition off the intended 'field', is an act in maturity, an act in awareness and an act of mindfully living well. 

"When we compare ourselves to others, we reject ourselves and deny the extraordinary uniquenss that makes us who we are." —Andy Puddicombe, mindfulness teacher

It may seem impossible to let go of comparing ourselves to others, but because comparing is not innate, but nurtured means that we can learn a new approach and let go of this unhelpful bad habit. 

I shared in a post many years ago that the only person we should ever compare ourselves to is who we were yesterday. And while I still think this self-awareness of growth is a wise idea, I now realize that again instead of comparing ourselves to our past selves, why not see and then use it as inspiration. After all, we were doing our best at that given time, just as we are doing our best now. Celebrate and pay respect to your younger self, but then stand in the present moment, applying the inspiration you have gathered and continue to gather from your past self as well as other people who pique your attention and admiration. And most importantly, set yourself free to be just who you are: someone who is discovering how to find comfort (so navigating through your challenges, mining them for wisdom), adoration (respect for yourself so you can ground yourself in a secure well-being) and utilization of all that you embody and can uniquely offer to the greater world. 

So instead of jealousy, instead of envy, choose to be inspired, and then get about the business of living your life, getting excited about living your life, and as you move through your days with this sincere enjoyment of the life you live and who you are as you discover what you can offer, your life will begin to blossom, and you will find more and more inspiration from the world around you.

As we wrap up the first month of the new year, I hope this newsletter finds you well and looking ahead to what I know has the potential to be quite an amazing year. Yes, this year, like every one that preceded it, will have challenges, but I think those challenges are preparing us to soar beautifully into something quite special. What that 'special' is will be unique to you and how you choose to move through your unique challenges, but one thing is for sure, I know you can move through them well, and then you do, oh my, life will just become even sweeter. ☺️

All of that may sound cheesy, but how the year unfolds is all about how we hold our mind - its thoughts, its perspective, its belief in possibility, its willingness to try, to grow, to explore. We have a choice, and while some challenges may require great patience (something we will talk about in tomorrow's A Cuppa Moments), others will seem minor, but each has a lesson that if we learn it, if we receive it with an open mind, can elevate the quality of our lives. 

This month's newsletter, while not as overflowing as last month as it was the end of the year, has a wide breadth of topics to explore: recipes, clothing, money, creating calm, gardening, French, you name it, in a matter of four weeks, we covered a lot of topics to kick off the new year well. I do hope you enjoy. And with that . . . 

Thank you for choosing to subscribe to the monthly newsletter. Wishing you a wonderful Tuesday, and until the final Tuesday in February, the 28th, I will see you on the blog.

—Shannon

~P.S. Below is the new snug created in the office. Join me for February's A Cuppa Moments in this very spot for more than 55 minutes of chatting about books, a detailed tour of how I arranged and what I placed in my new bookshelf, articles about our bodies and letting what they can do (at any age) transform our lives, the power of patience in our daily lives and much more.   

~To explore every post you wish to read, be sure to become a member to one of the two tiers - BASIC or TOP as non-members can only read five posts a month (it will reset on the first of each month - tomorrow!).