Do you engage in comparative suffering?
Do you ever find it difficult to lean into what you are struggling with because you find yourself thinking "I shouldn't feel this way. XYZ person has it worse"? I do. All. The. Time. It's like there's some kind of continuum for suffering and my suffering never makes the cut.
I feel a deep sense of shame for feeling angry, sad, scared, grief, loss, over things that are tumultuous in my own life when I hear that someone else is going through something I deem way worse.
And yet, that completely invalidates our own experiences in life. When did we learn that our struggle doesn't matter? How did we decide that everyone else should come ahead of us?
I'm not saying we shouldn't be empathetic and show compassion for others in their struggles. But we really need to do the same for our own. Acknowledge that something sucks and allow ourselves to feel those feelings.
It's SO HARD though.
Does this resonate with you? If so, how. Share below.