One of the members in CHEER CAMP once described this hustle / go go go / race-to-the-finish feeling perfectly. (Let's call her Callie.) Callie had taken a calligraphy workshop a few months prior, just for fun, and ended up loving it. She bought the supplies, joined an online community with other artists, and got busy pouring her creativity into making these beautiful hand-lettered pieces. 👩‍🎨

Before she knew it, it seemed like everyone in that community had moved on from talking about their art to talking about starting their art businesses! 🥵 Suddenly it was all about pricing, licensing, website design, analytics, and content creation. 

She told me it felt like she was hanging out in a beautiful park with a bunch of new friends and then everyone started running some invisible race. 🥴 Imagine being in the middle of a flash mob but you're the only one who didn't get the choreography. Stunned and confused, she looked around and decided she better start running too! She was rushing off to learn all the new things, but she already felt so behind. Deep down she questioned if a) she had what it would take to learn all that new stuff, b) if her work was even close to good enough, and c) if she even really wanted to start a business in the first place?

That's the thing about comparison. It makes you feel behind, and it leads you to start chasing goals that might not reflect what you truly want for your life.

I could write essays on Callie's story and the beautiful transformation she made when she decided to stop running alongside the group and instead forge her own more scenic path by the water where she liked the view and the pace. 

Story time.