We tend to compare.

When we look at a sunset, we think about how it stacks up against other sunsets we’ve seen.

When we eat a meal, we compare it to other dining experiences to decide whether we like it.

Rather than experiencing the moment as what it is, we get stuck in the past. We compare.

Our guide on a whale watching excursion a little while back had an interesting way of starting the trip.

She said she had two rules.

One – don’t fall in the water.

Two – I don’t want to hear about your past whale watching experiences.

At first we all chuckled, but then she clarified how serious she was.

When our fellow passengers talk about “the one time they…” it’s annoying. It minimizes our experience because we get sucked into a comparison mode. Rather than living in the moment, we think about how special our experience really was and we get stuck wishing for the perfect series of events.

The same goes for our own lives.

An experience can be wonderful without being the best ever. Who defines best anyways?

Sometimes (or maybe most times?) it’s better to just enjoy it for what it is,

-Brandon