Your Journey is Your Own
It’s human nature to compare. Sometimes it feels impossible not to. We look at how quickly or slowly someone else accomplished something to see if we’re on track, to see if we’re better. We look at the number of rejection letters someone else got, at the number of years it took them to sell.
Then after I think there’s a tendency to look and see who ranks higher. Who’s outselling who. It goes on and on. I was thinking about this the other day and I came to this conclusion: Comparing doesn’t help.
Nope. It doesn’t advance you in any way, what it does, I think, is make you feel bad about yourself, or possibly make you feel superior to someone else. Basically, no good can come of either of those things.
In writing and in life, your journey is your own. You’re the one that has to take it, and you have to make it work your way and in the right timing.
Everyone has setbacks and challenges, failures and successes, prior to publication and even after. But jealousy is destructive, feeling someone else’s success is the enemy of yours is destructive.
There are so many things we can’t control in this business, and we have to put our energy into focusing on the things we can control.
We can write, we can work on our craft, we can submit. And we can do it again.
Remember that your journey is unique to you, and your timing won’t necessarily be the same as someone else’s. But that doesn’t mean you’re a failure, or not as good, or not as deserving.
Just keep going.
And now I shall book pimp a bit! Aussies, The Highest Price to Pay is now available on the M&B site! For those of you in the UK, The Highest Price to Pay is now available on Kindle. US folks, The Highest Price to Pay is now available on ibooks.
Marriage Made on Paper is now available on eharlequin in print and e!!
Now go!! Get moving on your journey! Eyes on your own path!
Comments
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Good thing we’re not supposed to compete, or after every coffee shop writing session with you, I’d have to slit my wrists..,..
Also, Dory: “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep…”
this is a perfect post today. so many posts on the M and B new voices site about comments etc
as I said ‘Tread softly for you tread on my dreams.’
your path can be straight, narrow, bendy or blocked. But only you can get there, however you fancy, however long it takes. And think of the fun and the friends you collect along the way.
,
Beating yourself up over someone else’s successes is just a waste of energy. Plus, it makes my life so much nicer to be happy for you!
Amen!
Lisa… 😛 and I’m a big fan of Dory!
Joanne, glad it was helpful for you today. I know it’s something I struggle with even now sometimes, but the important thing, as you said, is to enjoy your journey. It’s the only one you’ve got!
Julia, aw. you’re sweet!
Thank you, Marcie!
I’m jealous of your good attitude…
*pets Lacey* There there. I don’t always have a good attitude. 😉