"Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it."
*-- William Durant

"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom."  *-- James Allen 

"All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that."  *-- Baltasar Gracian 

Picture this scene: You re-arrange your work schedule to attend a party in your child's classroom. You happily hug your child hello as you arrive. Then you notice a table filled with adorable ceramic Dalmations, beribboned and hand-painted for each child in the class by one child's stay-at-home mother.

Now try another: Your alumni magazine features the stunning professional accomplishments of a former classmate. Unlike you, she has not let motherhood slow down her professional advancement one bit. Her children, smiling beside her in the magazine photo, seem to be turning out fine.

If you're not prepared, either scene could drag you into “the comparison trap.” Maybe you've been there -- times when you measured yourself against others, with uncomfortable results.

It's a no-win.

Comparisons are a greased slope into a pit of guilt, envy, anger or feelings of inferiority and intimidation.

More fundamentally, comparisons fail to honor the uniqueness of each person's path in life. Just think of all that's unique about you and the path you've walked! The universe -- or your higher power, if you have one -- never asks you to be anybody but you.

Fortunately, you can break free of comparisons. Here are five simple strategies you can start using today:

1. GIVE YOURSELF MORE CREDIT.

This strategy is preventive. Look inside, and give yourself credit for your accomplishments and positive character traits. You might even mark in your calendar reminders to pause and recognize the heart, intelligence, imagination and integrity you bring to living life your way.

Start now: What can you give yourself credit for today?

2. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.

This is another preventive tactic to build your comparison "immunity." Cultivating an awareness of all the blessings of your life can take the sting out of seeing how others are blessed.

You might enjoy counting your blessings in a "gratitude journal," or review the best parts of your day as you fall asleep. You might even count your blessings before you get out of bed in the morning.

Give it a try. How many blessings can you call to mind in the next 60 seconds?

The next three strategies can help in the moment when you have a "comparison emergency."

3. EXHALE.

When you notice that you're comparing yourself to someone else, bring your attention to your breathing. Then, on an exhale, let the comparison leave your body with your breath. It's amazing how a well-timed exhale can create space for serenity and perspective.

Once you've blown the comparison away, you might ask yourself, “Is this where I want to put my energy today?”

4. RECOGNIZE LOSSES.

Other people's accomplishments may remind you of goals you have set aside. Maybe you've deferred or even given up hopes and dreams from earlier, simpler times in your life.

Be kind to yourself, and take time to acknowledge these losses. Create a ritual or find some other way to give voice to your grief so that you can move forward in healing.

5. SHIFT INTO A PERSPECTIVE OF GRATITUDE.

Take a couple deep cleansing breaths, letting any tension in your body leave on the outbreath. Now, see if you can shift into a perspective of gratitude.

Practice this strategy by bringing to mind a "comparison trigger" from the past -- maybe your ex-significant-other's new girlfriend, or the obnoxious alpha-parent you met on the preschool playground. Notice how relaxing and healing the perspective of gratitude feels.

YOU, YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR CAREER ARE UNIQUE. As you lovingly attend more and more to your own life and values, you can leave the comparison trap far behind.

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*-- Jim Rohn

"Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams.Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do."  * -- Pope John XXIII