Being part of this incredible community of creative people, you're bound to find inspiration at every turn and people that you come to admire. Most often, that's a good thing, but there are inevitably some times when having all those amazing people directly surrounding you might start to make you feel like you don't quite measure up.
I think it's only natural, perhaps especially for women, to have moments when you feel like nothing you do is ever quite good enough. Moments when you feel like you can't handle what's on your plate as it is and then you find someone with platters full of food, piled all on top of each other, and somehow, they seem to be able to eat it all and still have room for dessert? How do they do it?!
From the time that I was running a jewelry business out of my bedroom on the side of a full time job until now, 4 years later, as I'm trying to manage my (now 3?) blogs, I have felt those feelings of inadequacy lingering in the back of my mind. I find myself comparing what I seem to be able to accomplish, to what the amazing people I come across each day seem to be able to accomplish. And for some reason, I often feel like I fall short.
There's always someone smarter, faster and more talented in some way with their hands stirring way more pots than you are ever going to be able to stir (and maybe they can even cook and keep their house clean too! Ugh!) And as much as that little bugger in the back of your mind reminds you of that, you can't let it detour you from the path you've chosen for yourself, and the speed at which you take it. You know why?
You are just as amazing as all those people you admire. You have your own talents, your own creativity and your own priorities that determine how you share those talents with the world. It's not your responsibility to match what anyone else is doing on any given day, it's your responsibility to do for you.
Everyone feels
overwhelmed at times. Everyone has their version of the growing laundry
pile, the no exercise, the not calling back, the things that are
left undone. Even the people that you admire the most, the ones that
seem to have it all together, feel like they can't keep it all under control at times.
I bring this all up to remind you that you need to let yourself feel accomplished. Let yourself feel proud. Step back from the necklace you're making, the painting you're working on, the site you're designing, the shop you're updating and realize that not everyone can do what you have the ability to do!
The only person you truly have to measure up to is yourself, so if you're feeling too consumed with thoughts of all that you can't accomplish, perhaps you've set the bar a little too high. Don't expect so much from yourself all the time! Take stock and realize how much you have achieved already. Realize that you're someone other people look up to, too!
