Ōbaitōri
Etymology
From Japanese, a four-character compound (桜梅桃李) naming four trees: cherry, plum, peach, and apricot, each of which blooms differently and in its own season. Honest note: while the four-kanji word is genuine, its popular use as a life motto meaning “don’t compare yourself to others” is largely a modern, self-help interpretation of the imagery rather than an ancient fixed proverb.
noun · /oh-bye-toh-REE/
The idea that each person, like different blossoming trees, flourishes in their own way and time and should not be compared to others.
What it names
The reassurance that your path and pace are your own — no more to be measured against someone else’s than a plum tree against a cherry.
Example
I stopped checking what my classmates were earning and reminded myself: ōbaitōri, my own season.
Related idea
Danish janteloven discourages standing out above the group; ōbaitōri instead gently frees you from comparison in either direction — you simply bloom as your own kind of tree.