thought of the day | joy

when i was a kid, my pastor used to tell a story about his christmas bike. it went something like this. it was christmas morning, in the bronx, amongst a family who didn't have much money, at all. much to his surprise and elation, "santa" had brought him a new bike. well, new to him. he loved that bike more than he could express, and was so thankful to have it.

until he went to his friend's house later that christmas day. that friend had gotten a real new bike, complete with a banana seat. i'm sure it was a schwinn or some version of something i'd totally be dying over right now.

his point was this - he was so full of joy - until he made a comparison. and all comparisons lead to one of two things: feeling superior to someone or something, or feeling inferior to someone or something.

theodore roosevelt said it this way: "comparison is the thief of joy"

as a seasoned blogger of seven days, i can see how comparison would totally rob you of any joy from the experience. constantly comparing your fonts, photos, colors, layout, style, thoughts, ideas, writing, followers, sponsors, etc, etc, etc. soon enough, it's probably not much fun anymore.

and here's the biggest thing - i don't want to fail (as if there is some golden rule to...umm, winning?...at blogging?). Isn't the process itself a victorious one?

i want this experience to be an empowering one. a creative outlet. a way to learn about myself. about others. to explore my interests and broaden my mind. i've been coding in html, for god's sake. if you'd told me i'd be coding a year ago, i'm sure i would have asked you what you meant by h-t-m-l.

i vow to not compare. to not imitate. to not envy. to not judge (myself). to not beat myself up or become preoccupied with the stuff that doesn't matter. this isn't a popularity contest, and there is no "winner."

i will try, try, and try again–without fear of, or embarrassment by, failing.

because in the end, there's no way to fail at being yourself.