When I ask some of the youth in our church how they feel reaching a certain age after college, most of the time they give a sad answer: a tinge of envy. This is because they can't help but compare themselves with what their batch mates have become. They feel envious as they see their batch mates "living the life" - posting their travels, dining experiences, and making expensive purchases. 

I can't blame them. 

I, too, have my share of comparisons, and many times I ended up feeling sorry for myself for not measuring up to society's standards and timeline. When I was still studying, I have dreamt of landing a high-paying job after graduating, accumulating my first million at a certain age, and then buying my first car thereafter. I should have been married even before reaching 30. 

But God works on a different timetable. 

Illustrating reality

There is an interesting illustration circulating on Facebook regarding success. It is a picture of a rabbit boasting of his carrot with many leaves. The leaves are so prolific that the carrot sure seemed to thrive underneath. But that's not the case. The carrot grew only a couple of centimeters underground. 

And then there's this rabbit with his carrot having just a few leaves. The plant looks like it has not absorbed any nutrients from the soil or the sunshine. There's nothing worth notable with that root crop, so it seemed. But its lack of leaves is contrary to the carrot underneath. It grew larger than the usual, unnoticed. 

This is a picture that success is not always pictured with what's on the outside. We view success based on what our eyes perceive - brand new car, expensive travels, luxurious Instagram posts and reels... but are those accurate measurements of success? 

Perhaps, in a society that measures success in money and prestige.

But there's another way to picture success, and that is what only a few appreciate. It is living a life focused on your personal growth and contentment. 

The carrot beneath

The illustration of the rabbit with a huge carrot underneath is similar to the iceberg illustration. It is a picture of an iceberg that may seem scalable from a distance. But underneath is a huge chunk of ice, solidified, compacted, and not visible. What people see is the tip of the iceberg, but its foundation is hidden in plain sight.

Success is like that. People are attracted by the flair and the grandiosity that is the tip of the iceberg. But little did they know the tears, sweat, and blood that were invested to cause that success to happen. With every single cheer a person receives from his accomplishments, there are thousands of rejections and mockery that propelled it. 

Successful authors did not create their masterpiece overnight. It was done with several manuscripts rejected, drafts written and rewritten, and ideas getting frowned at.

Millionaires did not earn their millions overnight. It was a product of business ideas getting laughed at, business failures, financial losses, and nights filled with self-doubts. Unless it was received through inheritance.

Choose your measurement

We can choose the better measurement of success - what our eyes can see or what our eyes cannot see. Besides, it's easier to gauge the things our eyes can see. It's easier to compare. But what we accomplish away from the limelight is a kind of success that develops us as a person. It may not be easily measurable or quantifiable, but it boosts our self-worth and increases our resilience and confidence. 

The temptation to compare yourself with others will always be around. It will haunt us. It will keep us occupied. But when we realize that not all success is tangible and can be posted on social media, then we'll know that we are not really far left behind. 

You are doing great! Keep on growing! Keep on succeeding!