“Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16).

Do you get frustrated with yourself because you fall into the comparison trap? Do you hold yourself back from offering a product or service because you feel as though “someone else has already done that”?

These are traps of the enemy. At some point as a Catholic woman in business, you may have succumbed to them, maybe despite your best efforts. I know, because I did!

I’m writing to remind you that there is no need to hold yourself back, because you’re made in God’s image and likeness. There is no one else like you anywhere, so why try to be someone you’re not? Your gifts are unique to you, and you’re meant to share them for the glory of God. If you want to break a pattern of falling prey to the comparison game, then grab a pen and your journal, and keep reading.

You’re Unrepeatable

We are all made in the image and likeness of God. Many of us have heard this and know it in our minds but not our hearts. Have you ever paused and really considered this truth? There is only one you, “for-ev-er.” (And, if you just said that like Squints in the movie “Sandlot,” we should be friends.)

So, doesn’t it make sense that you’re meant to serve in a unique way, so you can give glory to our Creator? When we consider this truth against comparison and the dimming of our own light, it doesn’t add up. Whatever that other person is doing is not what God is calling you to do.

I'm a life coach. There are a lot of coaches out there. If I decided not to trust the Lord and use my gifts to serve as a coach, I would be saying, “No God, you’re wrong, and I’m right. I don’t want all the graces and fruits that are meant for me and my clients.” Try saying that out loud and see how it feels.

It doesn’t matter if what you do is similar to what someone else is doing—it just means you need to be specific about whom you serve and bold in how you serve them. How would your performance change if your work were a thank-you letter to the One who made you?

Take an Inventory of Your Gifts

Have you ever taken the time to consider how you’re a gift to the world through God’s eyes? Make a list of your awesomeness right now. You’re not boasting, because God made you, and you can’t praise him enough.

When you know your gifts, it doesn’t matter what that other person is doing, because you do it differently. When you know your gifts, you can cross some stuff off your to-do list—for real. When you know your gifts, you understand your strengths and your weaknesses, so you can delegate, hire out, and delete from your to-do list as needed.

Does knowing your gifts mean you should never try something new? Of course not! But, when you focus on your gifts, you can practice amplifying them and letting others share their gifts.

God—and the rest of us—are counting on you to be you. Let us see you shine so we can know the glory of God! Our time in this world is short. Focus on being the light, not dimming it.

Liz Montigny is a licensed Ziglar Life Coach for Catholic women to step into their new season of life and act on the dreams God has put on their heart. She lives with her husband and their three boys in Massachusetts where she homeschools, likes to relax with a cup of tea, and enjoys talking about non toxic living and building her theatre ministry. You can connect with her at lizmontignycoaching.com.