How to stop comparing yourself to others

04/03/21 • 33 min

Today we are discussing a question that comes up a lot: How do I stop comparing myself to other people? It can be a real struggle, especially if you feel like the people around you are better or farther ahead than you in some way. Here’s an article we did on the subject, called Feel like you're falling behind?

Our guest today is Harrison Tsao, who started practicing Buddhism in high school because he was deeply struggling with anxiety and depression, stemming from the fact that he found school really challenging, and was constantly being compared to his twin brother. It’s a really inspiring story: Once he started chanting, he took steady steps to find his own path forward and discovered his dream of becoming a chef. Then Covid-19 happened. Still, he never gave up. (You're gonna wanna to listen to the end on this one.)

Cheat Sheet

00:13 Introduction to today’s topic

2:17 Why Harrison started practicing Buddhism

6:45 What it was like growing up as a twin

9:41 His journey toward college and finding his dream

15:41 How Covid-19 impacted his path

18:32 How having a Buddhist community helped him navigate his path forward

22:28 The quote that changed his life

24:38 How he started setting goals for himself

29:59 Advice for anyone who feels like other people are farther ahead in life

31:59 Where Harrison is now

Cheat Sheet

00:13 Introduction to today’s topic

2:17 Why Harrison started practicing Buddhism

6:45 What it was like growing up as a twin

9:41 His journey toward college and finding his dream

15:41 How Covid-19 impacted his path

18:32 How having a Buddhist community helped him navigate his path forward

22:28 The quote that changed his life

24:38 How he started setting goals for himself

29:59 Advice for anyone who feels like other people are farther ahead in life

31:59 Where Harrison is now

Previous Episode

Join Us Friday for a Buddhability Community Talk!

Appreciate the Buddhability content but want to hear from people actually practicing Buddhism? We teamed up with members of our Buddhist community to present a new online series hosted by Buddhability. The first one is this Friday and we're talking about how to refresh yourself when you feel burned out.

Join us Friday, March 26 at 9 a.m. PT, 11 a.m. CT, 12 p.m. ET.
Register here: https://buddhability.org/practice/live/

Next Episode

How to turn your circumstances into your purpose

Today’s episode is about a key Buddhist concept, which teaches that where you are right now is exactly the place you need to be to fulfill your purpose, as long as you're willing to dig deep into your heart and let the courage out.

We speak with Dori Colly, a young mother in North Carolina. On the surface, hers is a story about the challenges she went through to buy a house. But what's most incredible about her experience practicing Buddhism is how she courageously opened her heart, despite many traumatic experiences, to put down roots in a community that she never wanted to stay in the first place, because of how volatile and unsafe it felt.

Today, many of her family members live on the same block and are working together to transform the community in which they live.

CHEAT SHEET

0:19 Introduction to today’s topic
2:16 Dori’s story
5:53 What made her decide to start practicing Buddhism consistently
7:40 Her journey to buy a house
14:13 How winning in the morning became the key to transforming her disbelief
16:50 What chanting can do
18:42 How she’s been able to support a child with autism
24:49 How chanting helped her transform family discord
26:46 How chanting helped her transform how she felt towards the world
30:58 How she reunited with her dad and moved him in next door
32:46 What her dream became after purchasing the house
40:16 The role that having supportive friends has played
40:41 Advice for anyone who feels beat down by their environment right now
42:55 The moment Dori’s heart shifted from not wanting to stay in North Carolina to taking full responsibility for her community