We are our own worst critic...

and, oh man, how often do we waste time, inspiration, and self-worth on comparing ourselves to others!

Comparing yourself to others will only lead to jealousy, discouragement, and self-contempt.  There is really no point to it.  But it's so natural!  

My friend, Kristin, used this photo in her blog and you should really go read it (click photo).  It totally hit home with me the day she wrote it.  And she talks about, which I so totally fist-pump agree with, how as you want to grow in creativity and find yourself being inspired by other creative minds, you eventually begin to compare your work and creativity with others...and sometimes hit the point of giving up and feeling down right sucky.

I thought it was pretty awesome in church this weekend how a solution was thrown out there for comparing yourself to others.  This young, twenty-something spoke about how much of life we waste on comparing our finances, relationships, looks, intelligence, creativity, etc. to other people we think are better than us - or we ourselves are better than.  "At least I'm not like..."  

Divas and Dreams blog also summed it up quite awesomely:  "If you are like me and most creative people in this world, you know of people you admire and see as better, more qualified than you or as a competition (same level as you). Comparing your self to them does not encourage you (and me) to stretch our imagination and find alternate sources of inspiration. Of course it´s great if they inspire you and make you glow with passion and ideas, but if you feel terrible and "not good enough" then don’t watch their work! Go out and play and have fun instead, testing your own ideas, feel alive and creative."

We need to be who WE ARE.  We need to discover quite simply who that is.  Don't let the joy get sucked out of you by  paying so much more attention to others that you aren't really even living!