Dr. Rachana specialized in Cosmetic Dentistry from State University of New York. After rendering her services to the medical field and its beneficiaries for a decade, she decided to contribute to her family business when she did her MBA from Nirma University with Gold Medal. Furthering the growth of human centric business approach, she successfully completed her course in Executive Education in Design Thinking from Stanford University. An accomplished Dentist, a proven Management professional who brings medical science, technology and design to aid individual and business advancement, she is also a mother to her kids. When she is not taking strategic initiatives at Gateway Group of Companies as a Director and heading the Marketing department of a software solutions company, she indulges herself in looking after her family, travelling, reading and contributing to the members of the society with aim to bring opportunities for everyone to grow.
“You are never going to find your own voice while trying to match the pitch of everyone else’s”, a quote by Jennae Cecelia resonates the tone when it comes to the concept of self-growth. The world may have come up with technology to hide behind fabricated filters or edits but the Nature has never stopped giving us an opportunity to compare ourselves with others. Metaverse will soon merge virtual world with our reality, but nature has provided humans chances to not get distracted by the attractive mediums around us. When we are spectators to the other’s portrayal of their lives, we identify ourselves in their stories. Mediums of comparison have evolved- right from comparing ourself with the one who is featured in an article or an image in newspaper, a tv stint or radio feature, a FB story or an Insta reel, a TikTok viral or a podcast. Channels change, but the need to compare never stops. As far as we feel blessed or privileged or thankful for what we have or most importantly empathetic towards others, our emotions generate healthy perceptions and pleasant feelings. However, stories do not always work like a simple “hypodermic needle” that injects a different self into its viewers. Instead, a story and its main characters ignite social comparison among us. This results into a comparison process of self-concepts, motives, and even behaviors. We start experiencing the FOMO of not achieving the same awards as others, in the same timeframe as others, not having the same friends, same fun, same status. We are constantly hunting for validation that we are not good enough which turns into a never-ending loop. The societal construct of measurement of success, status and time race is a trap into self-doubt. This ultimately hampers our relations with self and others, stopping us at every stage in living your personal joy and fulfillment. Every time a self-comparison thought strikes a chord with self-hatred, it reduces a chance to look into a phenomenal universe of self-exploration. The only thing you should compare is with your old self which is unique. Your story of development, wonders and experiences which came along your way are unique to you. The lessons of life have given you realizations of your ability to recognize your scars, your healing power and your strength. Your uniqueness is a combination of your past and present which is a story different from others and therefore cannot be compared. The first step is stopping the self-recrimination and start believing in what your worth is- being yourself, being phenomenal at every stage, step and phase of your life.