It’s so very easy to look at others and see their successes while missing one’s own. Lauren Bacon writes over at 99U about the dangers of comparing oneself while in the wrong frame of mind:

But if I’m not careful, it’s terribly easy to view my social media streams as a constant reminder of all the stuff I’m not doing, dreams I’m not fulfilling, and rooms I’ve failed to decorate in a Pinterest-worthy manner.

This isn’t a social media problem. It’s a comparison problem. There isn’t a single thing about Twitter – or any of the other social media platforms I use – that’s designed to make me ask how I’m measuring up. That’s all me – an automatic, internal mechanism. It’s part ego (“But what does this say about me?”), part creative drive (“What more am I capable of?”), and part deep soul yearning (“How can I make an impact, leave a legacy, and matter?”).

A very worthwhile read if you, like me, tend to fall into the comparison trap.

Linky: The Comparison Trap: How to Enjoy (and Not Envy) the Success of Others