This article appears as part of Casey Weade's Weekend Reading for Retirees series. Every Friday, Casey highlights four hand-picked articles on trending retirement topics and delivers them straight to your email inbox. Get on the list here.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Comparison is the thief of joy”? While doing so might be easier than ever with the amount of technology we have at our fingertips, it can quickly cause you to feel unsuccessful, inadequate and as if you’re not reaching your highest potential.

An altered view: When it comes to social media especially, you only receive one angle of someone’s life, instead of the full picture. Focusing on the strides others are making in their lives, versus your own, can cause you to lose sight of your goals and even base your personal value upon that comparison. It creates an ongoing cycle of negative thoughts, but it’s one you have the power to break, simply by changing your mindset. This article lists several ways to do so, some of which include:

📌Remind yourself, everyone has to start somewhere

📌Start a gratitude journal

📌Follow those who inspire you

📌Let go of what you think you should be

📌Use comparison as motivation

Focus inward: The happiest retirees we meet with don’t want to know where they land in comparison to others. They are satisfied with who they are and what they have. It doesn’t matter where anyone else is, but you.