We all have potential within us. One thing that leaves that potential untapped is our bad habit of comparing ourselves and our achievements with other people, rather than against the potential of what we could do ourselves.

It's a normal thing to do: we're around other people all the time. In person, online, in our thoughts. The thought of what-I-have vs. what-he-has will cross our minds inevitably.

Thing is, our brains work only to reach the standards we set for it from moment to moment. If you and a friend were being chased by a dog, you don't need to necessarily run your fastest -- you just have to out-run your friend. Done enough, metaphorically, you lose any sense of how good you could be.

I heard a Michael Jordan interview where he said he never competed with other basketball players. He set his own standard throughout his career, and constantly raised the bar of how good he himself could be. Which is why he kept winning championships even after he'd already been crowned as The Best.

Maybe your potential for what you do is not as high as MJ's in basketball. Heck, maybe it's higher. There is only one real way to find out. If you're comparing yourself to others all the time, instead of what your best could possibly be, how will you ever know?

You won't.