WITHOUT COMPARISON.
Someone else’s accomplishments do not diminish my possiblities. There is room for many definitions of a meaningful life.
REFLECTION
Have you ever been genuinely happy for someone else's success and, almost immediately afterward, found yourself questioning what you've accomplished with your own life?
Maybe a friend received an exciting opportunity, someone you know reached an important milestone, or you came across a photograph of a person who seems to have everything figured out. Suddenly, you find yourself taking inventory of your own decisions, wondering whether you should be further along than you are.
It's remarkable how easily we can turn someone else's experience into a measurement of our own.
We all have different circumstances, responsibilities, opportunities, and ideas about what makes life meaningful. What looks like success to one person might not be particularly important to another. And the things we value today may be very different from what we wanted ten years ago.
There's nothing wrong with admiring what someone else has achieved or feeling inspired by their accomplishments. But we can appreciate another person's success without treating it as evidence that we're somehow falling behind.
Today, consider what a meaningful life looks like to you when you stop measuring it against someone else's.
WRITE
Think about a time when you compared your life or accomplishments to someone else's.
What were you measuring, and why did it matter to you?
Write down three things that make your life meaningful, regardless of how they might appear to anyone else.
CREATE
Gather a piece of paper and a few different drawing, painting, or collage materials.
Divide your paper into several sections. In each section, experiment with a different color, pattern, texture, or style.
Allow each section to develop independently, without trying to make them look alike or deciding which one is best.
Notice how the differences contribute to the composition as a whole.
LISTEN
Choose two songs you enjoy that are very different from one another.
Listen to a little of each. Notice what you appreciate about their differences, whether it's the rhythm, lyrics, instruments, or the emotions they bring up.
Consider how each song can offer something meaningful without needing to be compared to the other.
SHARE
If you'd like, share your artwork, writing, music selections, or something you considered during today's meditation.
What is something that makes your life meaningful that might not fit someone else's definition of success?
There is no expectation to share personal experiences. Participate in whatever way feels meaningful to you.
