🧠 Don’t try to “age with grace”

There’s something beautiful about people who were called delusional for chasing their vision, and now it’s their reality.

Let’s have a great week!

PS: you can get The Opposite of Settling for 30% off right now on Amazon.

1. Don’t let other people ruin your life.

The truth of human nature is that we don’t judge our lives objectively - we judge them by comparison. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos points out that humans almost never evaluate circumstances on their own terms. We measure them against others. Rich people compare themselves to richer people. Productive people compare themselves to even more productive people. And the result is predictable: we carry around a constant feeling of being “behind,” even when we’re objectively doing well.

Our brains aren’t wired to evaluate things absolutely; we do it relatively. That’s why you can feel broke in a luxury apartment, lazy with a packed schedule, or unworthy with an advanced degree. We do it with emotions too: you’re anxious, you see someone walking their dog and think, “They’re not anxious. Why am I?” Or you scroll social media and conclude everyone else is happy and free while you’re overwhelmed. We don’t just compare success - we compare moods, relationships, and worth.

So how do we escape? Realize comparison is instinct, not truth. That signal from your brain - “you’re behind” - isn’t proof of inadequacy. It means you’re using the wrong ruler. Ask: “Am I truly lacking something, or just uncomfortable because someone else appears to have more?”

Comparison steals presence. It robs you of joy you’re already living and erases memory of it. The antidote is asking: Am I here? Because winning at life isn’t about keeping pace with others, it’s about being awake for your own.

*listen to this episode here

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2. The power of being direct

I know this can be hard to believe, but the right person is not turned off by you being direct and upfront… they’re grateful. They want to be with you. So when you lay it out for them, they’re like “thank you for the clarity now I don’t have to try to read your mind.”

Don’t be subtle. It's actually very attractive to say “are we on the same page?” because the right person wants to meet you there. The wrong person doesn’t and when you’re direct you’ll find out quickly and then you’re free.

But the right person? They don’t see your honesty as pressure or as being too much, they see it as a shortcut to loving you better.

3. A mindset

Your time on Earth is limited. Don’t try to “age with grace” - age with mischief, audacity, and a good story to tell.

Today’s podcast episode

741 - Why hasn’t it happened for me yet? I talk about how to deal with pressure to find "the one." I talk about recognizing the right vs. wrong path of your life. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

My name is Case. I believe in the power of perspective.

Say hi on Instagram @case.kenny

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