Do you often think people around you have it "better" or "easier" then you? If so, it can really make you feel badly about yourself, lower your self esteem & make you feel lousy. Most likely they don't have it any easier, in fact they may be going through a lot worse then you think!
Just because someone is larger in size doesn't mean they may eat a ton and don't exercise--who knows, maybe it's a medical issue they are battling. That person smiling may not be so happy inside (in fact, I recently read an article that often the happiest people are sometimes the saddest). That woman that you think is so skinny and "how lucky for her" may actually be trying to put on weight but just cannot and is miserable about it. Don't assume anything based on what you "see" vs what you know. For example, several years ago I had my car accident. Back then I remember thinking it was a "mixed" blessing that on the outside I looked okay (aside from a few bruises to my forehead from the steering wheel & where the seat belt restrained me) but inside I was a huge mess. Between neck, back, jaw, head injuries (I won't go into full detail, but you get the picture) it was beyond frustrating knowing most days I could barely move off the sofa and couldn't recall what I had done 2 minutes prior, yet I had people constantly doubting me saying "well you look okay....!" I recently caught an episode of "the Dr. Phil Show" where he had a young, handsome man who had a terrible head injury on as his guest. Seeing him on the show you would have thought he's looked totally fine. However, the man said exactly what I did above "people say I look ok, so how can I be that bad then!?!" The internal struggle he said was awful. He went on to state that if he was in a wheelchair people would think differently and most likely treat him differently and "fortunately I am not in a wheelchair, however I am handicap, just on the inside vs outside. Everyone thinks I have it so easy, but I don't." I thought WOW how true--I can totally relate to that! My point: everyone thought that I looked fine and often would tell me how "lucky" I was to be home watching tv, "hanging out" and just seeing doctors daily (they figured how bad could that be?!) For someone active like me it was a death sentence--I certainly was not having the time of my life! I tried not to dwell on my accident related issues, but trust me behind closed doors there were many tears of pain-both internal and out.
By recognizing that not everything is always as it seems can help you feel more positive about yourself. Instead of comparing, count your blessings and stay focused on what's most important: you! Stay strong, stay well and have a great weekend!
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