I am the kind of person who often compares himself to others, especially my writing and guitar playing. However, I recently stumbled across this quote on a good friend's site and it really struck me that this is the ideal to which I need to hold myself:
“To apprentice is to accept the unfolding beauty of progression. To become at ease with where you are in the spectrum of expertise. I have a good friend who has killed the simple, visceral joy of cycling and climbing because he never believes he’s good enough. He sets his sights so high that his performance is always a disappointment to him. Being covetous of what you are not is corrosive. Enjoy the slow blossoming of your own expertise. This is the craft of developing a craft.”
—from The Path of Apprenticeship by Mark Jenkins
I need that being covetous of what I am not is a damaging way to live and that viewing all I do negatively in comparison to others is not going to help me to improve at the things I love most. Definitely some food for thought...
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2 comments:
Good thoughts on something I also struggle with. There's something about being the BEST...
I think its the rare human who does not judge themselves against others. We seek a basis of comparison. However, it is unfortunate when we set our sights too high, creating unobtainable goals. Being "content" is something I continually struggle with, in work, in hobby, in marriage, in life.
In the end - when we're facing God - is He gonna care if we hiked or biked that extra mile? Literally?
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