The Thief of Joy

Shelley often reminds me of the quote "comparison is the thief of joy."

And I believe it — mostly because I’ve caught her red-handed in my own reflection.

You know the moment: you’re feeling good, maybe even confident, and then — boom — you scroll past someone’s perfect vacation, perfect home, perfect skin (seriously, what filter is that?), and suddenly your joy has been pick-pocketed.

But comparison tricks us into believing we’re behind, when really, we’re right where we need to be.

The truth? No one’s life is as flawless as it looks from the outside. We all have unmade beds, unread books, and unfiltered moments.

I remember a time when a friend, whom I felt never had a bad day, accidentally "butt-dialed" me. She was having a literal messy kitchen breakdown. I never mentioned that call to her. I hung up quickly so as not to embarrass her, but that moment reminded me that we are all human. We all have moments we would never want people to scroll past.

We're all so much more than what others see, and what we see in others.

So the next time that sneaky thief shows up, guard your joy.

Celebrate your path, your pace, your life.

Because when you stop comparing, you start becoming.