Comparisons

I saw an ad for a new tv show where brides compare their own wedding to weddings planned by other brides. There's some sort of judging that happens and I think the 'winner' gets a free honeymoon or something. I really didn't like the idea of brides judging other brides based on their own notions of what they like or dislike. A wedding is full of personal choices, and what works for one person may not work for another.

Then I realized I do this all the time. Not with weddings necessarily, but with myself or choices I make in my life. I constantly compare myself to other women, and compare my life choices to theirs. I am envious of all the exciting and wonderful things my friends are doing with their lives and it makes me question what I'm doing. Each day it seems more and more that I'm headed down the path of wedding, house, baby, family, etc. This isn't a bad thing (I want all of those things), but it lacks the excitement of travel, internships, international volunteer work, conferences, etc that I always hoped would be part of my life at this point in my life. I have friends that have surveyed primates in the jungles of Indonesia, friends that are finishing their MAs and going on to do their PhDs, friends that are joining the Peace Corps, friends that are doing international internships, and then I look at myself and I don't see any of these exciting things.

This makes me wonder. Should I take action to make more exciting things happen in my life? Or, should I stop comparing myself to others and enjoy the things that come my way? Or a little of both?