And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. Philippians 4:8 (Living Bible)
I spoke with a client recently about comparing himself to others. He has a stressful life, including caring for special needs children. This is hard work, and it is often really not understood by others how hard that really is.
My client noted that when he compares himself to others, he gets frustrated, irritable, and self-pitying. Those others do not deal with the daily stresses that he does. He knows that this is not a good practice, and to his credit, he is working hard at avoiding such comparisons.
We talked about the idea of trying to keep in mind the blessings that he and his wife do have. Whenever we can think about positives in our life, it breaks the narrative of comparison and self-pity. The field of Positive Psychology recognizes such actions as therapeutic, and likely to have a positive effect on people. It breaks the stacking of perceived problems and interrupts negative self-thinking.
My client and his wife are actually heroes in what they do for those children that they care for. I suggested that he consider that truth also when he gets into a negative narrative. That is not an easy thing to do, but the effects are worth it.
Prayer: Lord, help us to remember the positive things when we are beset by negative thinking, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 