One way to overcome this is to focus on a Greater Purpose - something larger than and beyond ourselves

We compare ourselves to those "below" us, giving us a false sense of superiority

We compare ourselves to those better than us (see the Social Media entry) and wonder why we can't "keep up"

Life is directed by opportunity cost - we must do X and the cost of Y, as we cannot do both

We must address the patterns, beliefs, and thoughts that we have that motivated our behaviors before we can change

The Victim Mentality must be done away with - just because we suffered from something in the past doesn't mean we need to continue suffering from it

We fear loss (loss aversion) and see personal change as a "loss of self", so we fool ourselves into clinging to old beliefs and patterns

Impostor Syndrome - the feeling that we do not deserve to be where we are, often brought about by comparison to others we deem to be "better"

The Elephant tied down with a tiny rope - the baby elephant cannot escape, the adult elephant accepts this reality and never tests it

We must address the underlying beliefs that motivate us if we want to elicit real, meaningful change

We are good enough, despite what meaning we may assign to past patterns

Why do we really do what we do? Do we exercise to be healthier for our families? Then how much time are we really spending with them? Does it align?

Delayed gratification isn't natural (marshmallow experiment) but proves to be essential to success

Beleifs are the things you believe to be automatically true in almost all situations

They are often "given" to you by influential people as you grow - teachers, parents, peers, etc.

Beliefs must be examined closely and scrutinized carefully

many people are trying to prove their significance - but significance to whom, and for what reason?

Margaret's Bird - had a chance to escape, but chose SECURITY over FREEDOM.

Fear is a common obstacle to living in congruence with our beliefs

Write down your values, pick 5-10 of the top ones, and try to let them guide your decisions. Revise as necessary.

Obsession with our own "significance" should not be an obstacle to relationships and time with people

Many of our beliefs stem from our Imprinting stage, where we assume everything to be about us and take everything very personally.

Choose your beliefs and values wisely and carefully - do not accept those that have been thrust upon you by experience

If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten

The Frog and the Scorpion / The Crow and the Tarantula - these are false stories that reinforce prejudiced thinking

People will act in a self-destructive manner in order to continue to conform to their self-given labels

We can label ourselves, and we can "inherit" labels from others