WorldWide Drilling Resource

The Perils of Comparison by Tim Connor I can't tell you how many people I have met during my world travels when, after only a few minutes of conversation, they started comparing themselves to someone or something else - a competitor, fellow employee, or someone they didn't even know. Why do we need validation by comparison? Why do we need to feel better than others? Why can't we accept who we are and what we have accomplished without the ego's need to look better than others? As a global speaker for many years, this is especially true in my profession - but we are not alone. Trust me, you don't have to be the smartest, best looking, wealthiest, or most famous person in the room to feel good about yourself. So why are so many people stuck in the com- parison mode, whether subtly or in your face? Not to brag here (it is not my intent), but I want to make a simple statement - during my career as an international best- selling author (over 80 books) and a global speaker (25 coun- tries), my intent and goal was never fame - and let me state that I have been successful in achieving this. Go ahead, laugh. Life is not about what others think of you or you think of others - and if it is, trust me, you will never find contentment, inner peace, or happiness because there will always be some- one out there smarter, better, and wealthier, etc. than you. Have you ever noticed when people generally compare themselves to others they either use someone less successful or someone who they can criticize whether this person deserves it or not? I can also tell you many of my heroes - Og Mandino, Mark Twain, Will Rogers, Jesus, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, and Charlie Tremendous Jones to name a few - comparison was not in their DNA. What they all had in common was the humility and desire to contribute in their own special way to the value of humanity and life in general. Let me ask you - have you ever compared yourself to others to try and convince yourself or make yourself feel better by others than you really were? Come on - be honest here. Why do we need to compare? Is it insecurity, the need for approval, desire to please, or simply the fact we can't admit we all have flaws and weaknesses in our thoughts, actions, decisions, and attitudes? I challenge you for the next couple of weeks, as you talk with others, to ob- serve their comparisons or your own dur- ing conversations, and then ask yourself - why? Why do I need to do this? Why do they need to do this? Try it and you will be amazed at how frequently we are all guilty. In His service, Tim Tim may be contacted via e-mail to michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com 55 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JUNE 2016