Do you ever find yourself stuck in the comparison trap?
Speaker and author Richella Parham knows what this feels like. “I couldn’t break free from admiring one person’s achievements, someone else’s personality, another’s skills, yet another’s relationships. And don’t get me started on how I looked at other people’s appearances,” she writes. “I was haunted by the admirable attributes of other people, certain that I could never match their worthiness. No matter how well-intentioned the teaching or pithy the advice, I found that most of it didn’t help me change my thoughts, feelings, or actions.”
While there are no easy answers, Parham has identified cultural and spiritual myths about others, God, and ourselves that keep us trapped. From there the journey is a spiritual one. We can pick up practices that help us walk in the freedom of Christ with confidence in ourselves. If you’ve ever suffered from tortured moments of comparison on Facebook, in the office, or in the hallway at church, you’ll benefit from this fresh perspective.
Endorsements
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Mythical Me is a sorely needed corrective to our contemporary culture’s obsession with constantly adjusting our personal and public image to fit hopelessly impossible standards. The wonderful news is that Mythical Me not only provides an accurate diagnosis of these soul-crushing habit patterns, it also guides us step by step into transformative ways of living and thinking that are eminently practical and life giving. I recommend it highly.
Richard Foster, Founder of Renovaré
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In Mythical Me, Richella Parham offers practical, next-step wisdom, all rooted in rich theological insight and offered with companionable, encouraging candor. If you’re looking for some empty jargon and the illusion of a quick, easy fix, this book is not for you. But if you’re finally ready to embark upon the slow, difficult, beautiful journey toward becoming yourself, you won’t find a better guide.
Carolyn Arends, Renovaré’s Director of Education
Richella Parham
Richella is Chair of the Renovaré Board of Trustees. With a background in small business, education, and church leadership, Richella is a speaker and the author of Mythical Me (IVP) and A Spiritual Formation Primer. She is the mother of three young adult sons and lives with her husband Jack in Durham, North Carolina. Read her full bio and connect with Richella at richellajparham.com.
2019, Intervarsity Press