When you find yourself comparing to others, ask yourself this:

Am I wrestling in the mud or not?

Photo by Athena from Pexels

Ground is where we start.

When superman leaps to the sun, it is on ground where he plants his feet

As creatives, we inevitably find ourselves comparing to others. Our imaginations, when untethered, turn inwards. Stoking our fears; not being pretty enough, not being smart enough, not being young enough. Our imagination looks down on us from the sky and laughs in our faces. 

It is then we need to pull ourselves down to ground. By accepting the terrible truth that we are not special. That our imagination was just an escape from reality after all.

Reality isn’t exciting. Reality is your boring job, your quiet town, your uneventful life, your lack of adventure. Reality is your mundane routine, day after week after year.

But that's your reality, it’s your ground. And if you want to leap towards the stars, that’s where you plant your feet. That’s only where you can plant your feet

When we look up to the sky and see all those people towering above. But we don’t see their muddy feet, we don't see where they rose from. The sky looks the same, but their little patch of ground is unique.

Off-course the ground is muddy and filled with dirt. But pull your imagination hither and you will see beauty. Wrestle in the mud and you will find gems. Gems you were too shortsighted to see before, even though they were right before your eyes. Take these gems and show them to the world. You don’t know their worth, let others be the judge of that.

So next time you find yourself comparing to others, look around, what is it that you are ignoring right now? What is it that has been already revealed to you but you are too arrogant to accept? Accept humility, dive headfirst into the mud and you will find greatness.