Labels can be dangerous.
Too often we lazily label things as good or bad. There are many benefits of this thinking habit, it allows us to move through the day for one!
But as with most things ‘good’ there are drawbacks too. This habit can create an unnecessary, subconscious construct in our own mind that limits future choices, or at least the visibility of options.
I do it all the time myself, we all do.
I’m good at it, or bad at it, depending which way you look at it!! (Haha!)
When I worked with a therapist a couple of years ago, it was the unravelling of my labels attached to my own identity that I found most helpful and impactful from our conversations.
This week got me thinking about something a bit unconventional…the idea that sometimes comparing ourselves to others can actually be useful. We often hear “don’t compare yourself to others,” and that’s generally good advice.
But in the past ten days, I’ve had a few moments that showed me the flip side.
I’ve been in and out of hospitals with family members, thankfully everyone’s fine now.
But in those waiting rooms, seeing parents with worried faces when their child’s gaze moved elsewhere, or elderly patients who might not make it home, I was reminded how a little outward comparison can sometimes give us perspective.
It reminds us that no matter how busy or strained we feel, there are always others facing different challenges. And that perspective can be a bit of a grounding force.
On a lighter note, we’re firmly in our busy season. The pipeline is full, I’m personally approaching capacity and my TRIPS Tank colleagues are busy too. There are windows in some weeks, so more interesting opportunities can be assessed.
We’ve got all sorts of coaching engagements lined up, and I even had the liberating experience of saying No to something this week. This is something I encourage my clients to do on occasion, just to know the feeling. I don’t always follow my own advice, and this week was worthwhile.
And of course, this evening, we’ve got our first Arena fireside chat with Lesley Ronaldson, which is a fantastic milestone. This is just with our Founding Circle members, we’ll have more to share about our big Launch in November soon.
So work is great and all things flying? Nah, there are downsides too!
So, the takeaway this week? Life is full of these contrasts, and sometimes a little comparison helps us appreciate what we’ve got and what
we’re working towards.
Nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems.