Peter Vander WallFounder driving creative community growth

Compare yourself to who you were yesterday

Name: Compare yourself to who you were yesterday
Uploaded: 2022-06-18T11:00:19+00:00
Duration: 46 s
Channel: Peter Vander Wall
Description: A short motivational monologue by Peter Vander Wall arguing that many high-achieving people come from small towns, possibly because limited local…

18 Jun 2022 · 1 min

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A short motivational monologue by Peter Vander Wall arguing that many high-achieving people come from small towns, possibly because limited local competition forces self-comparison. The speaker contrasts comparing yourself to others (which he says hands control of your identity to others) with comparing yourself to your past self, framing the latter as freedom and the path to becoming the best version of you. The piece ends with the advice: "Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today."

Chapters

A huge majority of people who became great at something came from a small town. Now, I don't know exactly why that is, but it's quite possible that it's about comparison. Think about it. If you grew up in a small town, you have a real chance at being the best at something, right? After all, there's only a few mechanics, a few high school basketball players, and a few of, you know, whatever else you might be into by growing up being the best. You don't even have anyone to compare yourself to, and so you're forced into self comparison. Comparing yourself to others takes away your independence. You're giving someone else the power to define who you are. Comparing yourself to the past you is freedom. Freedom to be the best version of you, not a crappy ripoff of someone else. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.