People always tell you not to compare yourself to other people around you. These people have no idea what they’re talking about.
In our social media-laden lives, comparing is the double-sided tape sticking everything together. How can I not compare myself to the person who bought a condo? To the person in the shinier job in my industry? To the person who married their best friend? To the person with all the followers? To the person with no anxiety plaguing them and taking up space in their brain?
Comparing creates a disconnect between me and my identity. It creates a lack of focus, with frustration subbing in instead. But I’ve been making these thankful lists since forever because they bring my identity back, even if it’s just a little at a time. These lists have become a staple in my life to ground me and transform negative thoughts (there have been a lot of them lately) to positive ones.
With less than 100 days left in the year (!), I want to make them count. I had to dig a little more to find them this month, but the following things are there to remind me that I do have a few things to be thankful for, such as:
Weekend trips to Santa Barbara (chill vibes galore, and I swear it’s always sunny there)
A boyfriend who is incredibly patient with me (I know I haven’t been a fun person to be around lately, and I appreciate the support way more than he knows)
Collagen (for making my hair breakage finally stop)
Multi-vitamins (same reason; I love this B-complex version)
Meaty podcasts that lead to debates (I’m a new fan of the Ezra Klein Show)
The creative nonfiction class I just started taking (can’t wait to write way more now!)
Morning workouts (back to a routine that makes me feel great)
Uniqlo no-show socks (so perfect and affordable)
Cereal (best afternoon snack; also I mix together 4 cereals when I eat, is that weird?)
Deep dish pizza (for saving my Sunday nights)
i am so with you about the whole social media driven life we have…while its a great place to find inspiration and connect with others, it can be crippling at times (esp when nth goes your way). I have always enjoyed these lists and it makes me think about little thing i should be grateful for.