Friday, May 18, 2012

We Can't Spell S ccess Without U



I saw a poster a couple weeks ago that said:

"We can't spell s ccess without U."

The phrase caught my attention. It got me thinking about just how important we all are in the grand scheme of things.

For example, if a group of guys named John, Paul, George, and Ringo never met and started plucking away at songs then the world would have been deprived of some pretty darn great music.

Say, if Aristotle had not believed the earth was round, we may still be frightened of falling off of the edge of the earth. (At least I think it was Aristotle. Let me know if I'm mistaken.)

And, what the devil would we do if someone hadn't come up with the brilliance of Kraft Mac & Cheese. Sheesh, we would all die of starvation, right? Okay, I've pushed the envelope a bit too far. But you get my point.

Now, to the meat of my post.

In general, I compare myself to everyone and their monkey. Uh... Oh, Dog. When I learned to speak Chinese to live in Taiwan for a year and a half, I thought everyone elses language skills trumped mine at least three-thousand percent. For the most part, this brought about great heartache and loss of awesome experiences communicating with the natives.

I compare with my writing, too. Slap me, please! I know I shouldn't, but ingrained in Julia's genes is the insecurity that I'm not good enough. Perhaps, I'm giving away too much, but maybe some of you who read this feel the same way.

One of my good friends told me that only I can write what I write, and I am super special for it. My words (after polishing them off a bit) are the best way that can tell my stories to the world. I shouldn't compare what I write or my journey with words with anyone elses. That's only setting me up for failure.

We needed J.K. Rowling to come up with Harry Potter. We can't spell success without her. We needed J.R.R. Tolkien to think up his fantastical world found in The Lord of the Rings. We can't spell success without him.

The list is endless, but you get the idea.

I quote this: "We can't spell s ccess without U."

Keep on dreaming, writing, and sharing YOUR stories! And for heaven's sack, STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHER WRITERS! I know I have to work on this one loads.

Have you ever compared yourself with others when it comes to your writing? How have you pulled yourself out of that muddling pit?

Writing. Jewels.

11 comments:

  1. Julia, I love this post! It's so true, and sometimes so easy to get caught up in comparisons! I have this quote on a sticky note on my wall that says, "Comparison is the thief of joy." And I look at that as a reminder of exactly what you're saying here! And yes, what would we do without Mac n Cheese? Seriously! (Or the Beatles. LOVE the Beatles.)

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    1. I loveth to deatheth the quote you shared. Thanks! I'm going to write it down and put it by my desk. Mac n Cheeseeeeeee. Mmmmmmmmm! "All you need is love..."

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    2. Courtney - I love that quote. I've never heard it before, but it's so true. I definitely fall victim to comparing myself, and I'm trying to get better at it and ignore those thoughts. When you compare yourself to others, you're setting yourself up to lose.

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    3. Thanks for commenting, Phil. No more comparing for us! At least let's put in a good effort not to.

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    4. I think I meant to write a valiant effort. haha I get phrases messed up all the time.

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  2. Good for you. Only YOU can tell your story your way. So what if it never goes huge like Harry or Bella. Big deal.

    And I have to keep reminding myself that my writing will mature. And it can only do that if I KEEP WRITING!

    Have a great weekend!

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    1. Good points! Thanks for your input, babes! You are wonderful. :D

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  3. I feel the same way with everything I do. I constantly need validation that I am "doing it right" or "I am good enough" and it drives me crazy. BUT, that's who I am. I've always been this way, and even though I try to be better, it's still in there. The trick for me is to surround myself with people who know who I really am, and tell me to shut up when I start talking bad about myself or my skills. LOL

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    1. Yes! Having a great support system is an excellent way to overcome the comparison blues. Somehow we have to get to the point where we don't compare regardless. I'm a work in progress.

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  4. What? Me? I never compare myself to other writers...

    *Cough* Okay, just a little. I'll stop, I promise! :)

    Have a great weekend, Julia!

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    1. Carrie, the first step to getting over something is to admit it. haha Let's stop this habit together. Woot!

      You have a great weekend, too!

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