Sibling rivals no more

I used to think that my elder brother is so much better than me. You know how you are always compared to your sibling whenever you go to a relative or a family friend's house and their comments would just haunt you for the rest of your life!

Most of their comments were on how much friendlier my brother is compared to me; or how much better his grades are, etc.

I used to envy my brother his ability to socialise with just about anyone and the ease in which he strikes up a conversation with a stranger. It's no wonder that he has so many more friends than me.

Not to mention he is far more hardworking in his studies and yet, still finds time to party and socialise.

I, on the other hand, have to work so much harder just to get good grades. I also give up easily and will settle for a mere pass.

Don't you also hate it that your older sibling gets to do everything first, just because he is older? For example, getting a driving licence first. When my brother got his, he showed off immediately and that got on my nerves.

The jealousy thing went on for a few years until recently, when I entered university. It was then that I realised that I did not need to be jealous of my brother at all.

I had been wasting time thinking how good he was when instead, I should have been focusing more on how to improve myself.

My brother has his own life and I have my own. Why do I need to compare myself with him? We live separate lives and whatever his achievements, I can use them as an example for mine.

My brother is better than me because he works harder, and if I do the same, then I would just be as good as him. He spends time studying while I waste time surfing the internet.

It was my brother who made me realise that education is important for my future. I was working part-time a few months ago and I nearly decided to quit studying.

My brother made me understand that if I have the proper paper qualifications, I can have better jobs and also a brighter future.

I am glad my brother sets such high standards for me to follow so that I can achieve more. I have learnt that I can be just as good as my brother if I work as hard as he!