God loves everyone equally but He also loves everyone uniquely.
Being the best version of yourself doesn't mean comparing yourself to others whether it's athletic performances, academics, grades, salary, or even circumstances. People get so wrapped up in this specific comparison that they either don't notice that they're doing it, or if they do notice it, they'll try to push the thought away and what it is, it's comparing your own personality. Yes, it's good to want to improve yourself and you should go for it, improvement itself isn't a problem. The idea of improvement becomes a problem when you let comparison step in and control your thoughts, actions, and more dangerously, you let it choose your motives. We're all guilty of it. There's been times in our lives where we've tried to "improve" because of the influence we get by comparing ourselves to our friends, family, teammates, coaches, competitors, and other people in our lives. On top of those influences, we have social media, online gaming platforms, and blogs that influence us. Most of all, and this is something that most people wouldn't think of, comparing where we are now, to who and where we used to be a few months ago or even years ago. As crazy as it sounds, we can look back and become envious of ourselves and past achievements and essentially put our past-selves in a second person point of view. We start creating excuses or, even worse, blaming God for where we are now, whatever circumstances we're in, even who we are as people. We go down this road of what we label as "improving ourselves" when in reality it should be labeled "trying to be better than someone else". Sooner or later, we have to learn a lesson we've all heard before and it's that comparison is the thief of joy. We need to stop trying to be solely the best version of ourselves, and start trying to be the best examples of Christ living through us. When you allow God to come into your hearts and let Him work inside of you, it's then that He will make you "the best version of yourself" and it will be so much better than it is if you try to live life without Him.
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