So say you are making a cake and the recipe calls for 1 1/4 cup of milk {almond milk - if you are my sister}. Well, as you begin to measure out your milk, you realize that you don't have enough in your refrigerator; and as if that is bad enough, there is no more milk at the store and no more cows, so all milk in existence is gone. Have you ever felt like you just can't seem to measure up?
This past week, I had to write something for this application I am doing in which I had to tell of my accomplishments and why I am "good enough." I started searching around to see other people's applications and what they had written about themselves, which turned out to be a terrible idea because I started questioning the importance of my progress and achievements. I say the amazing things people have done and the level of knowledge other students possess, and began to think how could I ever measure up to them?
With negativity in my brain about what my point is to continue this application process, I decided to put it all aside and finish it later.
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I have not felt this negativity towards myself in quite a long time. I mean, when I think of all the challenges I have overcome this past year, I feel as if I have proved myself to be a very dedicated and persistent individual. Yet, when I compare my measuring cup with someone else's measuring cup, mine tends to look a whole lot smaller than theirs; I am the 1/2 cup of milk when the recipe calls for the 1 1/4 cup of milk.
Ever feel this way?
What if we are comparing ourselves to the wrong standard - I mean, every measuring cup is different. There are the 1/3 cups and the 1/4 cups and the 1/2 cups; each are compared to different standards. The 1/3 cup cannot accurately measure the 1/2 cup just as they both cannot accurately measure the 1/4 cup. Each measuring cup is compared to a standard, they are not compared to each other to determine accuracy and precision.
In other words, I determine my success compared to the opportunities I have been given and the standards proposed to me by the expectations given from Above.
Comparing ourselves to others will always leave us feeling like we do not and cannot measure up. That person and all their successes makes my 1/2 cup-ness feel more like 1/4 or 1/8. Yet, I must look at my accomplishments for their worth, and not compare them to something that is not the 'standard.'
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In the end, I was able to finish my application and keep a positive attitude towards my successes and achievements, although there is always room for improvement and always time to embark on a new challenging journey.
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Stop comparing the measuring cup you have been given to those who may have a slightly larger measuring cup. Always strive to be better; use the cup you have been given to the best of your ability and in the more effective way you can be. In the end, your best should not be compared to someone else's 'alright,' even if, on a scale you have created yourself, their 'alright' seems to be better than your best.