Meet Sal - The Thief Of Joy We Call "Comparison"

Meet Sal, a Program Manager, who’s filled with self-doubt, sinking into the sofa after reading a LinkedIn notification on his phone. It’s 6:30 p.m., and after a quiet family dinner, he’s scrolling through LinkedIn. A notification from Devin, his college buddy, announces a promotion to director, accompanied by a flood of congratulatory comments. Sal’s heart sinks. They’re the same age, same degree, but Devin’s career is soaring while he feels stagnant. Doubts creep in—why not me? Is there something wrong with me? As frustration and self-doubt take hold, Sal is left questioning his worth and feeling trapped in a career rut. Sal’s frustration is a clear sign of a larger issue: the comparison trap, especially in the age of social media. Scrolling through LinkedIn, it’s easy to fall into the habit of measuring our success against others. But why do we let these comparisons dictate our self-worth? Jay sits down for an eye-opening chat in this episode, where he takes on the tricky topic of workplace comparison using Sal’s story as a guide. He dives into how comparing ourselves to others can mess with our mental health and career growth. Jay shares down-to-earth advice on how to tackle these feelings, like practicing gratitude, taking real steps forward, and setting limits on social media. And don’t miss the sneak peek of our next episode about Bryant, who’s grappling with self-doubt in his new role—more great insights are coming your way! In This Episode: (00:01) Sal's story (02:33) Today’s hot topic (03:50) Why humans are wired to compare (06:08) The dark side of comparison – what the research shows (07:20) Modern comparison challenges (08:22) Recognizing patterns of comparison (09:28) Steps to overcome comparison (12:23) Practicing gratitude (14:22) Objective analysis of career growth (15:21) Setting social media boundaries (16:25) Key insights (18:27) Actionable takeaways (20:41) What’s coming up in the next episode? Notable Quotes [08:09] “It's not your fault that you fall into that pattern of comparison. It's not like you mean to do it. I think that alone is a very helpful context for people to realize you didn't do it to yourself.” — Jay Abbasi [12:02] “Sal has a lot to be grateful for, and I feel like he's not noticing it. He has a loving and supportive wife, a beautiful healthy child, and they spend quality time together. He works from home, and these are things that maybe Devin doesn't have.” — Jay Abbasi [12:54] “It's just a perspective shift to get out of the pattern of here's what I want, but I don't have, and to shift into a pattern of here's what I want that I do have.” — Jay Abbasi [19:37] “We need to be able to discern what are the things that are worthy of distraction and what are not. Because every one of those notifications is a distraction.” — Jay Abbasi Resources and Links Unstuck Podcast Website Jay Abbasi Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube