The Problem with Comparison

My book released a few weeks ago. It should've been a day full of elation and joy. A week of happiness. But I let comparison steal some of that.
In a world where the market is inundated with books, it's hard to not look at how many reviews you have versus someone else or how high your ranking is compared to another. It's hard to not see posts about other authors' books, but not see as many shared regarding yours. Or at least think you see less. Who knows what the algorithms really show us?
Still, it wears a person thin to always be wondering if your book is as good as someone else's. Or your anything, for that matter. My eleven-year-old has been learning this lesson along with me.

Over Easter weekend, we participate in a program called Lads to Leaders. It's a yearly convention where hundreds of churches gather and let their kids participate in song leading, scripture reading, speeches, debates, puppets, and Bible bowl, among other events. It's uplifting and fun (and exhausting). But it can also lead to disappointment.
My daughter worked hard on her speech this year and she did a great job. She ended up being a finalist in the group she was in. But she didn't win gold, silver, or bronze. It was hard for her to not wonder what she did worse than the other girls or how she could have done better. And in some ways, that's good. Because it means she's going to stretch herself next year to do even better.
But in other ways, it made the achievement of being in the top six a bit less enjoyable.
That same week, I found out I wasn't accepted for a reader event I'd applied to be at. They only had 30 slots and hundreds of authors had applied. Even though the event is super close to where I live, I knew it would be a stretch to see if I was accepted. Seeing the names of other authors who have already been announced as being there, my mind quickly slipped into, "Well, of course I wasn't accepted. I'm not [insert amazing author's name here]. And I had to remind myself not to do that.
That author may be amazing, but that doesn't mean I'm not. She may have thousands more followers and reviews than I do, but that doesn't lessen my story. Another author may be better known, but that doesn't mean she's better. It simply means God has given her a different path than He's given me.
Every book is different. Every author has a different purpose, a different goal, and a different path to walk. Just because mine is different from someone else's doesn't mean it's bad. And it's hard to remember.
Comparing myself to others can be good if it helps me stretch and improve. But if I let it discourage me or allow it to steal the joys in my successes, I've let it win.
Don't let comparison steal your joy. Remember that your path looks different than anyone else's and God know exactly what yours needs to look like. And I'll strive to remember the same.
Have you ever let someone else's success dim your own? Ever thought yourself less than because you were different than another person?