It is often said that one should not compare their own beginning to someone else's middle. Comparison can be a dangerous thing. We all do it, even when can we try not to we catch ourselves because we're human. Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Not only are we guilty of comparing ourselves to others, but what I find most troubling is the way we compare ourselves to our own self image. In many ways I believe the intention behind the before-and-after picture is to show growth and progress. Here's the Thing, I cannot stand before and after pictures anymore. We live our lives striving to be better, but that doesn't mean the person we were before should be any less valued or recognized then the person we are today. True growth comes with having to truly look at oneself. Believe me, sometimes it ain't pretty but we only get one chance at this thing called life. I'm very troubled by the culture we surround ourselves with of c...