You’re tired. You’re working. You’re doing your best…
But then you open your phone.
Someone launched their own clinic…
Someone got invited to an international conference…
Someone posted their shiny new ultrasound machine….
And just like that, a quiet storm brews in your chest…
You scroll in silence—but inside, you whisper:
“Am I falling behind?”
“Should I be doing more?”
“Why does my best never feel enough?”
This is the cost of comparison. And for veterinarians, it’s a debt we keep paying with our peace.
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The Primitive Instinct We Never Outgrew
Comparison was once a survival tool. Knowing where you stood in the tribe kept you alive.
But in today’s world—especially in this profession—it has turned into a poison disguised as motivation.
Your brain, the same one that memorizes drug dosages and surgical protocols, now betrays you by turning peers into silent benchmarks.
And it never stops. It compares your behind-the-scenes to their highlight reel.
Your tired hands to their filtered wins.
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The Modern Epidemic No One Talks About
This isn’t harmless envy.
This is chronic stress, disguised as ambition.
Every time you see a peer post a win—your body reacts. Cortisol surges. Serotonin drops. You feel anxious, restless, hollow.
Psychologists call this loop “compare and despair.”
But in our line of work, it hits harder—because we’re already running on empty.
What used to inspire now slowly erodes your self-worth.
Why It Hurts So Much
Comparison feeds on distorted thinking:
- Availability Bias makes you see only others’ victories, never their breakdowns.
- Focusing Illusion makes you think, “If they’re thriving in one area, their whole life must be perfect.”
- The Hedonic Treadmill convinces you your wins don’t count for long.
So even when you save a life, finish a tough case, or get a heartfelt thank-you—you still feel… behind.
What It’s Costing You
- Your Health. Sleepless nights. Brain fog. Burnout.
- Your Voice. You start copying others instead of leading your own way.
- Your Relationships. Instead of celebrating peers, you pull away in silence.
- Your Joy. The joy of healing. The quiet pride of being needed. All numbed by comparison.
The most dangerous part?
It makes you blind to your own progress.
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The Way Out: Not Easy, But Worth It
There’s no magic switch. But there is a path forward—if you choose to take it.
1. Speak to Yourself Like Someone You Love
You show compassion to clients. You comfort grieving pet owners.
Why is it so hard to be kind to yourself?
Say it out loud: “I’m doing my best. That is enough.”
2. Compare Only to Your Past Self
You are not in competition with anyone.
Ask: “Am I better than I was last year? Wiser? More capable?”
That’s your only benchmark.
3. Count the Quiet Wins
The puppy that lived.
The client who called you “an angel.”
The intern who thanked you for your guidance.
Write them down. Feel them. Let them ground you.
4. Define Success in Your Own Words
Maybe you don’t want a giant clinic. Maybe you just want peace. Stability. Time with family.
That is enough.
Let your dreams be yours—not a borrowed standard from someone else’s feed.
5. Let Others Inspire, Not Intimidate You
When you see someone win, whisper: “Good for them. I’m on my way too.”
Their success doesn’t subtract from yours.
6. Protect Your Digital Space
Unfollow what hurts. Follow what heals.
Curate your feed like you curate your pharmacy—everything in it should support your wellbeing.
7. Celebrate Loudly. Love Generously.
Lift others up. Congratulate them. Cheer for their wins.
Because one day, when it’s your turn—they’ll be cheering for you, too.
Final Words: The Truth We All Need to Hear
You are not behind.
You are not failing.
You are not invisible.
You are becoming.
And becoming takes time.
So breathe. Look at your hands—the same hands that have saved lives, stitched wounds, comforted the scared.
Let them remind you: You are exactly where you need to be.
Carl Jung once said,
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your own heart.”
So look inward.
Not sideways.
Because the most meaningful path?
Is the one only you can walk.
Sharing this helps others understand what it really means to be a vet. Like and follow if you’re with us.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
