It is easy to get caught in the trap…<\/p>\n
The trap of using the “wrong” comparison reference point.<\/p>\n
We all do it. We look around ourselves and in order to make ourselves feel better about ourselves, we compare our lives to the lives of those around us that are not doing quite as good as us.<\/p>\n
For example: We know deep inside that we should be working out a little more and we should be eating a little better, but “Hey compared to Uncle Ralph, I eat a lot better then him and he is about 150 pounds over weight where I am only 50 pounds overweight?”<\/p>\n
Or maybe: Well I drink a couple of 30 packs a week, but I’m not as bad as my next door neighbor, he is all messed up on heroin.<\/p>\n
Or maybe: You could be saving $5000 a year but you are only saving $1000, but hey your sister is $50,000 in debt.<\/p>\n
There is real danger in using the wrong reference point in comparing our lives to the lives of others.<\/p>\n
Here are some of the things that could trip you up:<\/p>\n
1. When you compare yourself to others, you put off making changes in your life with a false picture of where you really should be in life. With this type of procrastination, you allow areas in your life to build up to a point that could be detrimental in your life. By having a false sense of where you are, you allow a lot precious time to pass where you could be growing in this area of your life.<\/p>\n
2. Trading down… If you surpass the original person you were comparing yourself with, you find someone else who is in worse shape then the original person. Let me use this example: You trade up from marijuana to cocaine, which the other person you used to compare yourself too used to be, and now you have to find someone who is using crack cocaine to make yourself feel better about you again.<\/p>\n
There is always someone who is worse off then you to compare yourself too.<\/p>\n
This is a bad habit to get into. And a habit that could hold you back your entire life.<\/p>\n
You see this happening everywhere, in the workplace, in our families, and even in our churches.<\/p>\n
This is also a place that leads to gossip which is an activity that can destroy relationships, families, businesses and even churches.<\/p>\n
The only reason that anyone will involve themselves with gossip is to make themselves feel better about themselves. It is no more complicated then that.<\/p>\n
So what should we set as a reference point?<\/p>\n
There is only one perfect person documented to ever have walked the face of this earth. One person who has had more impact on the lives of those who have chosen to follow Him and His example. And that is…<\/p>\n
Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
This is the only reference point that we should use to judge our lives against.<\/p>\n
Don’t get me wrong, this is a reference point that we will never measure up to and that was never the expectation for us. The expectation was that we need a savior and He came and lived on this earth over 2000 years ago giving us the measuring stick that we needed to live our lives by.<\/p>\n
Start today… Start to read the Bible and fashion your life after the only perfect person to set foot on this earth.<\/p>\n
As Always, Here’s to Your LifetoSuccess,<\/p>\n
God Bless You,<\/p>\n
John Clark<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It is easy to get caught in the trap… The trap of using the “wrong” comparison reference point. We all do it. We look around ourselves and in order to make ourselves feel better about ourselves, we compare our lives to the lives of those around us that are not doing quite as good as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":4,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,27,32,33,37,39,40,42,43,44,47,50,51,52,53,54,56,59,68,69,75,77,78,80,84],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bad-habits","category-breaking-bad-habits","category-business-opportunity","category-business-plan","category-business-success","category-career-success","category-coaching","category-communication-success","category-developing-good-habits","category-financial-success","category-fitness","category-getting-organized","category-goal-setting","category-good-habits","category-habit-breaking","category-health-fitness","category-health-and-diet","category-high-performance-living","category-improved-health","category-investing","category-job-interview","category-leadership","category-marketing-success","category-marriage-success","category-money-saving-tips","category-relationship-success","category-sales-success","category-stress-management","category-success","category-success-coach","category-time-management","category-weight-loss"],"yoast_head":"\n