One of the amazing things about being a person living on this planet are the interactions you have with other people on a daily basis.

While sometimes these interactions go exactly the way you want, other times they don’t go exactly the you we want.

So whether you’re interacting with other family members, friends, co workers, or acquaintances, the possibility is always there that any of these interactions will either go the way you want or not go the way you want.

In either case there are times, sometimes more than you would like, where someone takes on the “I’m better than you” mentality and then there are times where someone may “shrink” themselves and have the “I’m not as good enough as you” mindset.

Now this leads to the question:

“Are you above or below anyone else?”

1. Different levels

We’ve all come across someone who takes on the “holier than thou” and “I’m better than you” attitude.

In fact you’ve even taken on that attitude at times as well, sometimes more than you’d like to admit. This isn’t a bad thing and of course there are lessons to be learned from it.

No matter who it is or whatever it involves in any area of your life, the bottom line is that no one is better than anyone else. In other words, no one is above or below you and you are not above or below anyone else.

However, we are all on different levels  and this of course is dictated by our values or the things that are most important to us.

For example, Michael Jordan is regarded as a great basketball player but does that make him better than you? No.

When it came to basketball he was on a higher level than most people.

Let’s take Michael Jordan and have him be an auto mechanic for a living. Unless he has skills in working on cars he won’t be too good at it.

Now let’s say you love to work on cars and you have exceptional skills in doing so.
You’ll be on a higher level when it comes to fixing cars. You’ll be better than Michael Jordan when it comes to fixing cars unless Michael elevates his car fixing skills.

So is Michael Jordan better than you? Are you better than him?

When it comes to fixing cars you’ll be better and when it comes to playing basketball he’ll be better.

The bottom line is that no one is better than anyone else, however each of us are on different levels  when it comes to our individual skill set, which is based on our highest values or the things most important to us.

2. Stepping  up

It’s been stated and demonstrated many times that if you take someone who let’s say makes $40,000 per year and you put them in the presence of people who are millionaires, that the person making $40,000 will have a high probability  of feeling uncomfortable and out of place.

In other words people who have salaries  in the $40,000 type range will typically “shrink” themselves when they’re in the presence of others who are making millions.

Of course I’m using an arbitrary figure here but you get the idea.

In any case, the point to be made here is that regardless of your situation, it comes down to you being able to step  up” your game so to speak.

Many times people “shrink” themselves in the presence of others they feel are so called “better.” They’ll first infatuate with this person, put them on a pedestal, and then compare themselves to this person.

In fact many people will do this even if they aren’t in the presence of others directly, but will also do so in their perceptions.

So instead of minimizing or “shrinking” yourself in comparison to others, step  up or as Einstein said,

“Stand on the shoulders of these giants.”

You’re not here to be below anyone and others are not here to be above you.
Taking Einstein’s advice, stand on the shoulders of these giants by acknowledging that anything you like and admire in others you have too.

How can you prove this to be true…

You wouldn’t be saying it about others if you didn’t have it as well!

3. Grace and style

As I’m writing this I just realized how appropriate it is to add some fuel to the fire so to speak.

What I’m referring to is that of adding some GAS in the form of Grace And Style to what I’ve been speaking about today.

Regardless of what level  you’re on in any area of your life, you really make yourself stand out in a much more powerful way by being graceful.

No matter what you do, you’ll always have people who will like and dislike you, support and challenge you, be kind and cruel to you.

Just know that it’s how you react to and handle it that counts, and doing so in a graceful manner is what will set you apart  and have you shine brightly.

It can be very tempting and easy at times to get “up”, “elated”, “cocky”, and “puffed up” when things go your way.

It can also be tempting and easy to get “down”, depressed “, “shameful”, and “beat yourself up” when things don’t go your way.

However, you are most powerful when you’re poised and present.

This is when you really get to see how magnificent and brilliant of a person you really are.

In the process you’ll also be your true and authentic self along with being able to love yourself for who you are.

We all want to be loved and appreciated for who we are.

Always remember…

“When you love others for who they are they turn into the one you love” and “When you love yourself for who you are you turn into the one you love.”