This unscheduled post is the result of a moment that just took place, that I couldn’t assist but share in situation you’re feeling the identical way. I was sitting right here, minding my own company, plugging away on an assignment editing photos, when my Pandora switched to a new song. The tune was Colbie Caillat’s Try out, and though I always tend to tear up when this song comes on because of its ultra powerful lyrics, I out of the blue and totally broke down—we’re talking an ugly, near-sobbing cry.
The emotion took me entirely by shock (tears are practically even now drying on my encounter as I variety this), but it didn’t take long to understand exactly where it all came from. The reality is that comparison has been eating me alive. Have I unintentionally stepped on someone’s toes with a venture? Have I accidentally strayed as well near to another particular person’s aesthetic? And, on a a lot more substantial scale, is my brand worth pouring my heart and soul and life into when absolutely everyone else is carrying out items a lot greater and much greater than me?
I am hounded by insecurities that make me query my ability to keep up in this organization. Do they like me? Will they notice me? Will they work with me, trust my capacity, or will I have to adjust to fit the “mold”? And, of course, on a individual level, do my pals believe I’m pretentious each time I deliver up what I have managed to complete? I hardly go out and I never ever deliver up or celebrate my accomplishments with others for worry that my friends will smile, nod and then believe, “Well, doesn’t she believe she’s particular. Give me a break.”
I know that these insecurities aren’t based on reality, and even just as I variety this, I’m realizing that fear is typically so much bigger than the truth. I know my pals don’t secretly detest me and I know that my operate is a crusade worth the journey—but I also know that I can’t please everybody, and I detest (detest!) that more than anything at all. I just want to be liked. Do you ever really feel this way? Even if you aren’t a blogger—maybe you’re a mom, a teacher, an accountant, a software creator or a pupil. Do you consider so challenging you come to feel like you’re going to break?
If you’re in a similar predicament and feeling like the planet is against you, and if that dreaded comparison game is murdering your joy, know that fear—at the heart of it all—is just an emotion. Actuality is frequently so significantly brighter than the image our worries and insecurities paint. Please, oh please, don’t let comparison be the thief of your joy.
Appear in the mirror. Do you like you? Attempt…
(calligraphy stencil by Leen Jean Studios)
P.S. Don’t worry mom—I’m fine.
