“Life is very interesting… in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths.”
 — Drew Barrymore

Every pain that you go through in life is an experience. Regardless of whether they’re good or bad, experiences shape who you are.

You are the person you are today because of your experiences. You are able to achieve what you achieve today because of your experiences.

So don’t fear the pain, embrace it. Painful experiences ultimately build you into a stronger and more successful version of yourself.

The genuine truth, and I do think about this a lot, is that I’m one of the least competitive people you’ll ever meet. Except with myself.” 
— Daniel Craig

There’s no use in trying to compete with other people. Regardless of how similar your careers or goals may seem, you’re living a different life than they are … and you always will be. Comparing yourself to others will always be apples to oranges.

You should compare yourself to who you were in the past. That’s the ultimate benchmark. Ask yourself … is YOUR life improving? It’s all that matters because it’s the only thing that actually affects your quality of life.

“If there’s any message to my work, it is ultimately that it’s OK to be different, that it’s good to be different, that we should question ourselves before we pass judgment on someone who looks different, behaves different, talks different, is a different color.”
— Johnny Depp

There are two lessons in this quote.

1. It’s GOOD to be different because being different is what makes you valuable to others. If you weren’t different, then you could easily be replaced. Your uniqueness is your power.

2. If it’s good to be different and being different gives you value, then it follows that everyone you meet has some value to their life. No matter how they look, think, or talk, even if it’s polar opposite to you, they have value. Instead of jumping to judgement, try to learn something from their value. Everyone’s uniqueness has something to teach you.