We can cast a wide net when we are using comparison to find our secret joy. Comparison can also time-travel, with a little imagination. When we compare, it’s usually in reference to the society we live in or the social circles we move in, which makes it easy for us to feel stuck and confined. I rather liked Annie Raser-Rowland’s liberating idea of comparing ourselves to anyone in history in order to remember that we can do things differently. As she told me, “There are so many human lifestyles throughout time and a lot of wiggle room in who you compare yourself to—you just have to keep
...more
