We all do it. We scroll through the feed and suddenly notice: someone’s done more, looks better, travels more, laughs louder. Someone is in Bali, someone just earned a new degree, someone bought an apartment. And then that familiar feeling creeps in: I’m behind, I’m not enough, I’m not where I should be. Even though just a moment ago, everything felt okay.

Comparison is a trap we fall into almost daily. Not because we’re weak or jealous, but because we’re human. We naturally look to others to understand ourselves. The problem is — what we see isn’t real life, it’s a highlight reel. We compare our full reality to someone else’s single moment. Our behind-the-scenes to their polished cover. And almost always — we come up short.

Social media has turned this feeling up to full volume. We see others’ achievements, but not their sleepless nights. We see smiles, but not the anxiety behind them. We see the result, not the path, the failures, the fear, the silence. And then we wonder: what’s wrong with me? When in truth, we’re just not seeing the full story.

We need to remind ourselves: no one lives in a perfect upward spiral. Everyone has doubts. Everyone compares. Everyone has days where nothing works. But what you focus on shapes your world. Constant comparison drains you. Turning inward gives you something to stand on.

Inner grounding isn’t about thinking you’re better. It’s about knowing that you are you, and your path is your own. That you’re moving at your own pace. That you have the right to pause, to rest, to be quiet. That being "in progress" doesn’t mean you’re behind.

You don’t have to succeed on a schedule. You don’t have to be visibly happy to be worthy. You don’t need to look like anyone else to matter. You can simply live — fully, and not for the sake of comparison.

When you catch yourself measuring your life with someone else’s ruler, take it as a sign. Not to speed up, but to stop. To return to your body. Your rhythm. Your truth. Because joy doesn’t live where you’re “better than.” It lives where you stop comparing — and start feeling.