The Comparison That's Actually Worth Making
Embrace Your Real
Julie Ledbetter
5.0 • 982 Ratings
🗓️ 8 June 2026
⏱️ 19 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Hey hey beautiful human!
Most of us have been told to stop comparing ourselves to other people, and honestly, that advice sounds good until you remember that your brain does not really work that way. You can tell yourself to stay in your own lane, but then you open your phone, see someone else's body, progress, or routine, and suddenly your brain is already measuring before you even meant to.
So maybe the goal is not to stop comparing completely. Maybe the goal is to stop comparing yourself to people whose full story you do not know, and start comparing yourself to the one person you actually have enough context for: you.
In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I'm breaking down why comparison is not always the enemy, how to tell when it is helping versus hurting you, and how to look back at your own progress without turning it into a shame spiral.
What's Discussed:
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Why comparison is a natural brain function, not a personal flaw
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Why external comparison usually leaves you feeling worse
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How your brain compares your behind-the-scenes to someone else's highlight reel
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Why your past self can become either a source of shame or a record of growth
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How to compare yourself to yourself in a way that is specific, honest, and forward-moving
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Why tracking your progress can build confidence when you use it as evidence, not judgment
If you loved this episode, you'll also love: Episode 540: Why Beating Yourself Up Isn't Helping You Reach Your Goals. It pairs perfectly with this conversation because it helps you stop turning progress into another reason to judge yourself and start using it as something that supports you.
Ready to have every 30-minute session pre-planned, pre-programmed, and built around exactly this structure? Head to movementwithjulie.com and get started inside the Movement With Julie app.
If you want more from me, be sure to check out…
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Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie
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Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/
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Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/
Website: www.juliealedbetter.com
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, |
| 0:05.4 | a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk |
| 0:11.4 | and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving |
| 0:16.6 | your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get and let's go. |
| 0:27.7 | Hello and welcome back to another episode on the EmbraceRill podcast. I am so glad that you |
| 0:33.0 | are here today because I want to talk about something that I think it's oversimplified a lot in |
| 0:37.3 | the wellness |
| 0:37.7 | space and that is comparison. You've heard it a thousand times. Stop comparing yourself to others. |
| 0:42.9 | Comparison is the thief of joy. Just focus on your own lane and so on and so on. And honestly, |
| 0:47.2 | that advice is not wrong, but I believe that it's incomplete because there is a version of comparison |
| 0:52.9 | that is not stealing from you at all. In fact, |
| 0:55.1 | there is a version that's actually one of the most powerful tools that you can have for staying |
| 0:59.8 | motivated, measuring progress, building genuine confidence over time. And that's what we're |
| 1:04.7 | going to be getting into today. So here is my hope that you can walk away from at the end of this |
| 1:09.5 | episode. You're going to have an understanding of why comparison is a natural brain function and not a character flaw, a clear |
| 1:16.5 | way to tell the difference between the kind that hurts you and the kind that helps you, and some |
| 1:20.4 | practical tools for looking back at where you have been without turning it into a shame spiral. |
| 1:25.9 | Before we dive in, though, I want to share this review. She |
| 1:28.1 | give a five-star review and said, love it. I absolutely love this podcast, advice, tips, tricks, |
| 1:33.6 | and a healthy dose of positivity. Julie's podcast has been a game changer for me. I've struggled |
| 1:37.9 | with self-image and self-doubt all of my life. Julie's words fill my cup and inspire me to |
| 1:43.0 | embrace myself all while I can be my best |
... |
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