Have you ever found yourself lost in the maze of comparison on social media? Here’s how I found myself all tangled up in the comparison maze this past week - and how I got free of it…
I’ve been working HARD to prep for Homestead Education week. Part of that prep has been research… figuring out what topics are going to be most interesting and valuable to you guys. I asked a ton of questions in my stories (thanks for your responses by the way).
I’ve scoured facebook, Reddit, Pinterest, and Instagram looking for the most asked questions, the most needed tips, the most common pain points for our community of home gardeners and homesteaders.
The good news is the research paid off and Homestead Education week is shaping up to be SO amazing. (More on that later this week!)
But the bad news is in the process of consuming A LOT of content on social media, I started to play the comparison game in my head.
Look at her garden trellises. My garden looks so sad and boring compared to that.
Wow. Her pantry is amazing. Maybe I should try doing that to mine. I wish I had a basement.
Whoa. They have millions of followers. Maybe if I looked/spoke/acted more like her…
Her feed looks like a magazine. My house will never look like that. What am I even doing? I’m a total fraud.
The spiral continued from there and it got UGLY. I found myself in a crabby mood, irritated with everyone around me for no good reason. I developed a bad case of writer’s block (a sure sign that something is amiss in my heart).
I started picking apart my home, my garden, my wardrobe, my greenhouse.
When I finally fell into bed exhausted and annoyed with even myself, I finally stopped and quieted my heart.
And that’s when I heard His still, small voice.
“Make it your goal..”
It was like a prompt to remember the Bible verses that have been my anchor the past few years, the Holy words that have set the course for my purpose. I had forgotten them so quickly while I wandered through that maze of comparison.
Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)
I had so quickly lost sight of what matters most - how many times have I typed these words on this keyboard - faith, family, and the farm.
It’s not to be my goal to have a perfect home.
It’s not to be my goal to have a perfect garden.
It’s not to be my goal to have a million followers.
It is to be my goal to live my life for Jesus, quietly and steadfastly doing the work He gives my hands to do for today.
And that quiet life the Bible talks about - I think that’s more a state of the heart and mind than a matter of the mouth. We have to quiet our hearts to live attuned to our creator, to walk in step with Him.
So I resolved in my heart right then and there that I was going to be me. I wasn’t going to try to be like anyone else and I wasn’t going to waste another second comparing myself to little squares on a screen.
And friend, I hope you’ll resolve the same thing too. Don’t let comparison rob you of joy. Don’t let tiny squares of pretty jars and perfect gardens muddy up your own purpose. Just keep going. Don’t let the distractions stop you.
We’ve got this. 💕