Every once in awhile we all need a real lesson in humility, this week I really needed one. I will admit I spent most of my week in hateful and jealous thoughts. Why? Well I am working more hours at the clinic and being reminded why I didn't like it there full time, I am out of clay so my outlet of art is cut off to me, and perhaps most petty of all as I dive into the blogesphere and the world of Etsy more I am coveting other peoples artistic lives, jealous of how seemingly easy it is for them and how wonderful their work is. Yes I know this is no attitude to walk around in and trust me Chris and the dogs would agree.
Two days ago I was walking the dogs and they were being especially bad, they have terrible cabin fever and because of all the chemicals on the road our walks are short at best. So understandably they were being crazy but it did not help the foul air I was surrounded in. The whole walk I thought hateful thoughts about how someone needs to walk in my shoes and see how awful it is and how much I wanted to walk in someone else's and wake up and say success!
I got home to check my email and in my inbox was my second sale for Etsy. This wasn't enough to pull me out of my funk so I went to check the news and weather, fuming at the horror that is my life. As always the news is full of people, like those in Haiti or those who have lost everything in this economy, who don't even have shoes to walk in. That was a mental reality check for me. I am here mad because I am lucky enough in this bad economy to have a job and I have to work at it and I even have sale on Etsy to top it off. I looked down at my shoes, my favorite pair of chucks and realized even though they are little scruffy I am pretty damn lucky to have them. Success is not an overnight or even an over a year thing, and sometimes we have to work hard to be able to play later.
Its so easy to get caught up in wanting what you don't have or haven't achieved that you miss whats around you. There are people out there who really have it bad and I am so lucky to be surrounded by loving friends and family, a nice house and a decent job. So instead of thinking hateful thoughts all week I thought happy and grateful thoughts. When I am in a bad mood Vicki often says to me say ten good things about your life, so here they are:
1) I have a super awesome loving hubby
2) I have awesome friends who are like family to me and support me like I am theirs and remind me to remember the good things in life
3) I found a pillow that looks just like Shippo!
4) I just got in an order of Girl Scout Cookies for the weekend nom nom nom
5) My little zoo gives me smiles all day everyday even when they are bad
6) My sister is coming to visit in 3 months (yay!)
7) I live a life style where I can afford a lap top and Internet when many others cant
8) I am slowly seeing my hard work as an artist pay off
9) New order of glazes to try came in the mail today
10) I am really really lucky to have all that I do and even though I sometimes forget I am super thankful!
Awesome, another Etsy sale! And new glazes! And all that other stuff of course... :]
ReplyDeleteThe hardest part about being an artist is being patient, I think. Success is moving your way, but it's just in trickles right now. Remember that every artist you see out there being successful and making it look easy had a long hard beginning just like you--you just never heard about them because they weren't successful yet!
This is a really nice post. I've had many times where I felt discouraged and that progress is going really slow too... and feeling like everyone else has it so much easier and being a bit jealous about it! One thing that's really helped me with that lately is an idea I read about called the "abundance principle"... it basically says that there's unlimited opportunities for success out there, so there is no need to be jealous of other success - rather we should be happy because it shows us a positive example that we too can do it!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your second Etsy sale, that is amazing! :]
Thanks guys! You two are of course some of the awesome friends I speak of:) Ray I think Vicki has told me about that before and it is a really really good way to think. There is lots of sucess out there and I KNOW all of us will someday have it!!!!!
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