Envy...Incentive

It starts out innocently enough doesn't it?  Go over to visit a blog and see how clever someone is with their thrift store finds...and before you know it you're wishing your home was as nice as theirs.  Sure they saved a ton of money on decorating but the house is far better than your own.  And then you find a blog that features handwork and you wish your creativity was as well honed as theirs.  Or their numbers look better than yours and they've only been blogging for a couple of months.  You wonder why your blog hasn't the same number of followers.  Isn't your content as good as hers?

Once envy gets a foothold it's a pesky creature to route out once again.  You compare yourself to others on the street, you wonder why your pedicure never looks quite as nice as that one, why your food never tastes as good as another cook's meals,  and on and on it goes.



I had a short bout of it this week but fought my way back out again.  Ugh, envy.  Vicious, ain't it?

But it isn't all bad...

Whoa.  Did I just say that?

Well yes, as a matter of fact, I did.

Because sometimes envy is the very kick in the seat of the pants we need to really stop and examine our self, our life, our home, our blog and see why we feel such envy.  Maybe it isn't the house itself  I want but I admire how well it's been pulled together.  Perhaps I have the same resources and the same opportunity but never take the time to make my home look as well as it can.  Maybe I've been sitting around wishing for things to be different and not doing anything at all about it.

 Maybe I've slacked off too often in writing my blog and I didn't take time to proof read my content or reply to a kind comment.  Maybe I haven't bothered to leave comments at the blogs I've visited or subscribed to those I've read for years.

Perhaps I've been letting that old perfectionist keep me from starting that sewing project I've set aside for a month or three.  So what if I mess up a stitch here or there if I have an original, hand crafted item to show for it at the end?  Isn't that what hand craft is all about?

So here's to envy.  Thanks.  I appreciate the incentive.