Since the day I was born I have always compared myself to my brother. I feel like this can happen with any siblings, but especially when you grow up with an older sibling. My brother was able to do everything first--drive, go to college, stay out late, etc. But of course he did these things, he was older and it only made sense that he did. However, one thing I must point out is that I was the only one comparing us. Not my parents, not other family members-- just me. Why? Because I strived to be exactly like him. And while I no longer strive to be the sibling who is fascinated with science and on the road to become a doctor, I strive to be like my brother by following his mindset and determination.
It's no surprise to anyone that the LeBron Family is unlike any other. We LeBron's strive to be the best and won't settle for less. However, we're all different in our hobbies, interests, and passions. While my brother was an all-star fencer traveling the country and thrived in high school, college, and now graduate school, I am much different. Yes, I was able to succeed in school, but I had no interest in APs and definitely had different strengths than my brother. He may be amazing when it comes to academics, but I thrive when it comes to 'street smarts' and non-academic fields.
It was not until I went to college that I was able to accept these differences and see that I had no reason to be comparing myself to him for all of these years. We are COMPLETELY different people. Instead of being jealous over all of his accomplishments, I learned to be proud. I needed to stop pouting and comparing myself and start living my own life and earning my own achievements.
This past week my brother graduated with his Masters from Johns Hopkins University and I could not be more proud. To see how far he has come is absolutely amazing and I am so proud of him. I'm excited to see where life leads us. After all these years I've learned to trade envy and resentment for pride and motivation. So to those that comparing themselves to their siblings, you may want to try this too.
