27/08/2024
DO NOT COMPARE, Don't Compare, Just Run Your Race
(a must-read)
A scientist and a lawyer lived next to each other. One day, the lawyer told his wife, Lucy, "Look how hardworking Kate, the scientist's wife is. You don't work as much as she does. She wakes up as early as 4:30 a.m. every morning. She prepares meals for her husband before he leaves for work. She irons his clothes. She does the dishes after each meal. She attends to all the washing and cleaning. She removes her husband's shoes when he enters the home. She still waters the plants. She can work for up to 15 hours a day. But you can't even spend 5 hours working"
Lucy spoke very gently.
"I may not be of the same standard as Kate... but you do know that I'm doing my best every day to be a good wife to you"
The lawyer snapped.
"Well, your best isn't good enough! I deserve better than a wife who does very little. You are supposed to be as hardworking as the scientist's wife. You should extend your working hours in a day"
From that point on, the lawyer set rules for his wife. He made Lucy wake up very early in the morning to begin the household chores. He made her scrub all sinks and drains, take out the trash, do the grocery shopping, water the plants, w**d the garden, and more. She worked all day and had very little time to rest. Somewhere along the line, she became utterly worn out.
One evening, the lawyer returned home from work and found Lucy lying lifeless on the ground. He rushed her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead by the doctor. She died from a heart attack caused by chronic stress.
The lawyer was overwhelmed with grief and guilt. He couldn't deal with the pain he felt in his heart. Then, he went to his neighbor, the scientist. He said to him.
"My wife died because I made her do all the household chores all by herself. I compared her to your wife and wanted her to be as hardworking as she is. But tell me, how does your wife do all that and never suffer a breakdown?"
The scientist paused for a moment. What he said next was a total surprise.
"I don't have a wife. The lady who lives with me is a human-like robot called Kate. I created her to do all the household chores such as cleaning, cooking, ironing, etc. How could you have compared your wife to a robot? Lucy was a human with blood in her veins but Kate is a machine that works with a battery. Do you realize what you have done?"
The lawyer stood frozen in shock and disbelief. Then, the scientist continued.
"You had a good wife who was caring and compassionate. A wife who loved and respected you. Did you even know how lucky you were to have her as a wife? But you killed her due to your dissatisfaction and baseless comparison. Now you've lost her forever. What a shame!"
Many of us have the habit of comparing our life to others. We are fascinated and intrigued by the things others have. We lose value for what we own since what others have might look better, newer, or prettier in some way. We often think that our bodies aren't good enough, our house isn't big enough, we aren't talented enough, and our family doesn't do their best enough. However, one thing we fail to realize is that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Comparison can kill a man very easily. It leaves us with negative feelings of envy, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, and isolation. Know in your head and heart that you are different from others not just only in appearance but also in everything. Be happy with yourself and find satisfaction in your work. Stop comparing your life to others and be who you are.
GOD BLESS YOU🙏❤️
