Comparison Is the Thief of Joy

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Theodore Roosevelt

Comparison is the thief of joy.

As human beings we are likely to have had a few times in our life where we longed for the greener grass that others seem to have. We might even spend some of our time filled with envy wishing that our experience is different than it is and that others have it better than we do. Comparison is indeed the thief of joy.

When I was a young mom I spent way too many days comparing myself and my kids to others. It was exhausting and I broke free of all of that during my great wake up in my early thirties. I dropped the desire to compare myself with others long ago for the most part, however, major life events typically bring out our vulnerability and we might find ourselves once again looking at other people’s experience and comparing ourselves to them.

This old feeling of comparing myself started to come back lately when it comes to my recent hip replacement surgery. If I had a nickel for everyone who has told me that their 80 year old whoever was walking in a week without a cane I probably wouldn’t have to go back to work. Seriously…how is that useful? Or the stories of young athletes getting back to their sport within weeks. I get it…those miracles and amazing stories do happen and that is awesome, but not everyone has that experience.

When I hear these examples it is hard to not compare myself with them and it is something I am working on daily while also finding the opportunity to remind others who share their fast healing stories with me that it isn’s always that way for everyone, although I am thrilled for them.

Awareness is the key to cultivating true compassion but that is another day’s blog post.

Instead of comparing myself to those stories I have decided instead to look for small daily wins and remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint. It might be that showering without any help is my win. Or getting out to my yoga studio to record a session is a win. Maybe making a simple dinner is a win. Definitely the sourdough English muffins this week were a win. ?

If I spent my days comparing myself to others I would lose my joy in those small, yet huge wins.

My surgeon and physical therapist were great this week at reminding me that my experience is vastly different than most. The factors that go into my own healing are unique to me, so breathe and be patient. Also look for those small wins each day to carry me through until I am back in the “normal” swing of things. And, I am reminding myself that “normal” may look very different for me compared to pre-surgery.

It is natural for people to compare themselves with others. I want to encourage the world to stop doing that. Many times people even compare themselves with me. Instead, I try to ask them to look at their own gifts and be proud of them. We are all special in some way. While it may seem to some that I have myself all together, I really don’t. I work at it each and every day.

Find the joy in YOU and in your own small victories. Comparing yourself will definitely steal your joy and life is simply too short to live a joy-less life.

I have also learned that although the grass may appear greener, there is always some other species of “weeds” that have taken space in the seemingly green space and my own green is perfect for me, weeds and all.


Stacie believes that it is her life purpose to share the gift of Yoga with anyone who is willing to say yes. In addition to raising a family and being an advocate for those with disabilities, Stacie is founder of Embracing Spirit Yoga which specializes in bringing adaptive Yoga into community centers and rehabilitation clinics. Bringing her depth of compassion to the mat–or the chair–she offers students the opportunity to grow as an individual in all aspects of their life.

Bone Strength Remedy

In the last six years, I have had four orthopedic surgeries. Tomorrow, I have my fifth. Previous to my recent round of multiple hip surgeries and ankle tendon repair, I had two foot surgeries and a knee scope. It’s crazy! Almost as crazy as having an arrival toe joint ?!

Over the years I have tried many things to help with post operative pain and things to expedite healing. Icing, elevating and passive movements are great for keeping things lubricated and moving (of course with the guidance of your physician and specific needs). I love to ice and hand with a good book while my body rests.

I have also found that some topical remedies work great for aches and pains following surgery. For muscle pain and tightness, I love this muscle rub. It’s packed with natural and pure essential oils and doesn’t have the nasty stuff that some other blue rubs have.

Since our joints are composed of bones and soft tissue this blend of essential oils has been my go-to for all my joint surgeries. I apply it around the incision sight as often as I need. It really does help to reduce the discomfort and because of the unique properties of the essential oils, they also help my bones and soft tissue become stronger with each application.

Check this out:

To a 10ml glass roller bottle I add 8 drops each of these essential oils—helichrysum, lemongrass, frankincense, and sandalwood. Occasionally I might add marjoram for some added muscle relief. Fill the rest of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil and you’re good to go! You can grab everything you need here!

Besides this bone supporting blend, these essential oils are so versatile and you can use them to also support skin, sleep, mood, and surface cleaning to make a few! But if you opted to only use these oils for this blend, it would make over 20 roller bottles, which last for months anyway! So while the investment is big, it’s so worth it.

This gorgeous ebook explains all the ways you can safely use essential oils in your home. Once you grab the oils, I will reach out to you and schedule a free wellness consultation and send you an awesome welcome package to get you going.

Ready?

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