Do You Agree With a Supermodel’s Advice?

I was enjoying an excerpt from the book by Gabrielle Reece, former pro volleyball player and supermodel. She had some thoughtful insights on aging gracefully, noting, “I can rock a magazine spread with the help of Photoshop, but I am not the hot-ta-ta boffo babe I once was. I am, like everyone else in the world, getting older.”

But one line from her book, My Foot is Too Big for the Glass Slipper, really resonated because it’s congruent with a message I often share as a motivational speaker: Dare NOT to compare.

“You can’t be better or worse than anyone if you are not competing with or comparing yourself to them,” Reece wrote.

There will always be those younger, smarter, wealthier and healthier than you. On the other hand, there will also be plenty of folks on the other end of the spectrum. But when we give our time and energy to worrying about how we measure up to others, we rob ourselves of joy and contentment. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be our best, but when we let our perception of others influence how we feel about ourselves, we’re treading into dangerous territory. And it starts at a young age. Recently, a friend shared with me about a comment made under a picture that her teen-age daughter had posted on Facebook. Amongst the usual comments like, “You’re so pretty” and “Those shoes are da best,” one girl had commented, “You look amazing…I feel so bad about myself now.”

My heart aches for this girl and so many others like her who judge themselves as falling short of some ideal – an ideal all-too-often created by Photoshop. I should know. After all, my profile pic is Photoshopped! If you could see me this minute, you’d notice the uneven skin tone, extra chin and wrinkles to boot! So the next time you find yourself caught in the trap of looking at another and feeling less than, make a conscious decision — and dare not to compare. Simply be the best you!