We all have that one friend (or group of friends) who you look at and think to yourself, “how is she so pretty and talented? I wish I could keep up!” It happens all the time, and I’ll absolutely be the first to say that I’m constantly playing this competitive game that ultimately nobody wins. So here are three reasons to stop comparing yourself to your friends:

1- They are awesome, but so are you. “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.”- Zen Shin. I think this quote is awesome because it’s showing that nobody has to do any better or worse than the other in order to coexist, which is completely true, particularly because you may be at different stages in life. Friends don’t often take the exact same paths, whether in career or personal life, so there really is no direct comparison. You’ll always be comparing apples to oranges, so why bother comparing at all? There doesn’t have to be levels of awesomeness, but a mutual, unspoken agreement that you both can “bloom” simultaneously.

2- You have different strengths. I’m not a fast runner, but I can bake the best brownies you’ll ever have. I’m not a great musician, but I can write fairly well (if I do say so, myself). I don’t have super shiny hair, but I can walk on cobblestone in heels without breaking an ankle, which takes a TON of talent. Point is- there’s always going to be something you don’t do well, and there’s always going to be something you excel at, so focus on the things you do well and let your friends focus on their own strengths.

3- They’re probably feeling the same way about you. Every single thing you feel toward them, I guarantee they’re feeling, too. They’re probably sitting here wishing they could bake or write or not fall over in heels, just like you’re wishing you could run or play music or make your hair stop frizzing in all this damn humidity. It’s a two-way street, and I think this realization will help to see our own strengths, not just our perceived shortcomings.

Conclusion- stop comparing yourself to your friends because you are your own kind of awesome and have many talents, and there’s always going to be someone else thinking that you’re the pretty, talented friend to keep up with.