Browsing Instagram is a trigger to some. As you scroll through countless pictures of recent travels, restaurant snaps, bottle-shaped bodies, and fancy gadgets, it's difficult not to ask yourself, "how far am I left behind?" 

Envy is a spiteful enemy. It will first captivate you with someone else's accomplishment. "Ohh, how lovely," "Look how far they've reached," "What a remarkable achievement!" But then the focus will shift inward. "Now look at you, what you at?", "Your achievements, if any, pale in comparison," "You're left behind, can't you see?" Envy and self-pity combined is a debilitating combo. 

I love what Craig Groeschel said in his book #Struggles: "don't compare your behind-the-scenes with other people's highlight reels." It's easy to spot beauty when everything around us seems normal. But social media does not mirror normalcy. If any, it is a make-believe reality where we could be anyone we wish to be. People flaunt beauty and hide the scars - and we all have scars! People's success in social media does not mean our failure in real life. 

I tell you, you're doing better than you think you are.

You paid the bills last month

Or if you're a student, you made it through to make it today! Perhaps you've thought about how heavy your loads are in the past months, how difficult your challenges are, and how unreasonable your boss or teacher is, but here you are - you managed to get through and settle your obligations! It's a feat to celebrate if you'll ask me. I wish I could say the same for all, but some people may had it rough, but here you are reading this post because you still have internet or mobile data to spare. You're not a failure.

You have one or two close friends

Life is already challenging, but it would be doubly hard when we do life alone. And if you have at least one or two close friends who always check up on you and help you in many ways, you are doing better than you think you are! Imagine those who don't have anyone who cheers and backs them up because of their attitude or toxicity. But you have some people who believe in you and love you! That's a win!

You have goals

Some people are no longer motivated to pursue life. Unfortunately, some choose to end their life because they can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. They give up on their goals, or worse, they don't have any, to begin with. Not so with you. You are motivated, you are working hard, and you are pushing through! And you are better than who you were yesterday. You've grown muscles, can't you see? It may not be physical muscles but emotional and spiritual muscles. You're no longer the wimpy kid they used to know. You're resilient, brave, and most of all, full of faith. 

You can sleep well

Did you know that sleep is a blessing from God? The Bible says that God grants sleep to those He loves. And He loves you enough to give you the gift of sleep! Sadly, some people can't sleep well at night because of overthinking and stress. God longs to grant them peace as well. But more likely, you can sleep soundly, and perhaps literally with sound! Sleep restores our depleted strength and prepares us for another day ahead. It's a blessing some people care less. But if you can still sleep in spite of all the troubling news and toxic issues of the world, you're doing better. 

See, you're not a failure, as your envy and self-pity combo says. Zoom out. It's difficult to see the forest if you're too focused on the trees. But if you look from above, your perspective will change dramatically.

Article idea from @UnshakeableFinance's FB post titled 10 Signs You're Doing Better Than You Think You Are