Reigate Grammar School

HartsFest is almost here! 🎶

Don't forget to book your tickets.

Join us on Monday for an evening of live music, street food, ice cream, face painting and summer festival vibes at Hartswood.

Bring a picnic blanket, relax with friends and family and enjoy performances from musicians of all ages,from our youngest singers to some very special leavers' performances..

🎟️ Tickets must be booked in advance and will not be available on the gate.

Book your tickets here:
https://www.trybooking.com/uk/GMCL

Thought for the Week, from Rev. Jackson:

One of my favourite quotes that I have used in these Thoughts more than once is from Theodore Roosevelt. It is a simple quote, but one that is particularly important and powerful for us as we move into feedback week and get internal exam results back… ‘Comparison is the thief of joy.’ As human beings it can incredibly tempting to compare ourselves with other people. We compare exam results, revision hours, university offers, sporting achievements, social lives, appearance, followers, friendships—the list goes on.

The problem is that comparison rarely makes us happier. If someone does better than us, we can feel discouraged or inadequate. If we do better than someone else, we might feel good for a moment, but that feeling often fades quickly because there is always someone else to compare ourselves with. It's a race that never really ends. The challenge is that comparison shifts our focus away from our own journey. Instead of asking, "Am I growing?" we start asking, "Am I ahead of everyone else?" But joy comes from a different place.

Joy comes from recognising progress rather than perfection. It comes from appreciating what we have rather than constantly focusing on what we lack. It comes from celebrating the success of others without seeing it as a threat to our own. Imagine two students receiving exam results. One spends their time comparing their grades with everyone around them. The other looks at their results and asks, "Did I work hard? Have I improved? What can I learn from this?" The grades may be identical, but their experience will be completely different.

The writer and theologian C. S. Lewis observed that pride gets no pleasure from having something, only from having more of it than the next person. Joy, on the other hand, doesn't need a comparison. Joy can simply appreciate what is good. So perhaps this week, instead of comparing yourself to someone else, compare yourself to the person you were six months ago. Notice how far you've come, what you've learned, and the challenges you've overcome.

Because comparison may be the thief of joy—but gratitude, growth and self-acceptance are often where joy begins.