I think I’ve accepted that most of the time, there will be someone who is better than me. They may be smarter than me or have done more things than me. I think I’ve always known that. However, sometimes life smacks you in the face and bursts your bubble. I don’t necessarily have a fear that everyone is better than me, but I do feel discouraged at times if I let things get to me.
If you all have been here before, you may know that I used to live and go to college in NYC. New York is filled with people and I think it’s safe to say that there is going to be someone better than you. However, when I say that I feel like everyone is better than me, it often comes down to people I know.
Sometimes life smacks you in the face and bursts your bubble! Click To TweetRecently, I came across a post made by the university I went to that mentioned all these things a current student did. When I was there, this was definitely the norm. I knew people who had businesses and developed apps before they even walked across the stage at graduation. At that time, I think it was normal for me and I didn’t quite feel inadequate.
The inadequacy didn’t start to settle until I graduated university and went into the real world. Spoiler alert: the real world wasn’t as kind. In this context, everyone is better than you. Everyone has their own lives with their jobs, their business trips, and their social lives. I didn’t really have any of that. So, it was such a shock for me to experience this new territory. On top of this, I got to see all my friends move on with their lives while mine kind of felt stagnant. I felt like I had prepared myself so much for life after graduation when the truth is that post-grad life is such a beast and I don’t think nothing can prepare you enough. Ultimately, things worked out for me and I think that’s just what comes with being a post-grad.
I felt like I had prepared myself so much for life after graduation when the truth is that post-grad life is such a beast Click To TweetI’ve talked about post-grad depression before and how real it is. I think anyone who feels like everyone is better than them is going through something similar to what I went through. So, my biggest advice is to just be yourself. I know it can be so hard to compare yourself. Believe me, I’m a total perfectionist! However, with these things, just know that you’re still a pretty awesome person. I know, I know! It’s harder than just saying it.
Being a post-grad is hard and not letting others successes get to you is hard, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to champion yourself, whether it be in your love life or your career. And if you ever get down about something, just remember that everyone else is just as miserable but they’re just better at hiding it.
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Question of the day: How do you deal with the feeling of everyone is better than you?
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I can definitely relate. I’m a second year at Ohio State right now and it was a huge smack in the face when I first came here because I went from being number one in my high school to average in college. I got past that though, but now I’m starting to worry about my future. All my peers seem ahead of me by so much with internships, experience, etc. and it honestly worries me. I don’t know how to reach their level and knowing that there are so many people that are better than me worries me about potential job opportunities. This is a great topic to talk about, great post!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this post! I think comparing ourselves to other people is only natural sometimes. However, it’s important to not let it diminish your self-worth. You may not be doing everything that your friends are doing, but I think as long as you’re working hard, none of that should matter! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!