I've lived in worlds where comparison is the party most people show up to.... They see a beautiful, talented, successful person in front of them and immediately feel less than, not enough, and assume that the "beauty" they are staring at had an easy climb to the top and didn't encounter the same obstacles others have faced.... I've done it. Over and Over and Over again.... I've compared my life to others, my talents to others, my body to others, my journey to others.... what a waste of time.... it breaks down relationships... builds walls... and steals joy. I love love love the Lotus Flower... It's one of my favorites... for obvious reasons...a beauty that rises out of the mud... the murky water... it just pops up out of nowhere... the most unexpected place... in all it's glory.... Goldie Hawn said it best when she said.... “The lotus is the most beautiful flower, whose petals open one by one. But it will only grow in the mud. In order to grow and gain wisdom, first you gotta have the mud --- the obstacles of life and its suffering. ... The mud speaks of the common ground that humans share, no matter what our stations in life. ... Whether we have it all or we have nothing, we are all faced with the same obstacles: sadness, loss, illness, dying and death. If we are to strive as human beings to gain more wisdom, more kindness and more compassion, we must have the intention to grow as a lotus... opening each petal one by one. ” So next time... you are standing in front of someone who seems to have it all together... remember the mud they likely grew up from... and then recognize they are JUST.LIKE.YOU... YOU are just.like.them.... BEAUTIFUL.... Beautiful because you chose to rise up out of...because you chose to love in spite of... to conquer because of... BEAUTIFUL.... because instead of comparing yourself to someone else... you just chose to love them instead. #bloomwhereyouare 🌸🌺🌷