If you start to feel “Runner Up” status creeping into your thoughts, it’s probably a little of perfectionism and a lot of fear. When the end of the race is the only thing that matters, it’s terrifying to think about falling behind. So, let’s flip the script -- what if life isn’t actually a race? What if no one will be waiting to tally your score and give you a placement? What if the real treasure lies in the journey, the stops along the way? Comparing your journey to someone else’s journey is like comparing apples to oranges, and it takes your eyes away from what really matters: what you’re experiencing in this moment, and how it’s making your life magical.

It’s especially easy to fall into the comparison trap if you’re worried about what you don’t know, what you don’t have, and how much uncertainty is ahead of you. “If only I were x, then I would be ready,” “if only I knew y, then I would be happy”... if you spend your life wishing you were somewhere else, you’re going to miss all of the meaningful moments right in front of you. You don’t need to be a future version of yourself to find the magic right here -- because you get to decide what matters. 

There’s this thing called “the learning gap” -- basically, it’s the space between where we are and where we want to be creatively. It’s ok to look at your progress and know that you want more. It’s ok. But it’s also ok to look at your progress and think, “Wow. Look at how far I’ve come.” It might seem like you’re running out of time, and that you can’t afford to stay at this “average” skill level -- but, actually, even here, you are worth celebrating. You put your whole heart and soul into getting to this place, and spoiler: If you don’t learn to love where you are now, no amount of achievement will ever be enough. Life is about finding ways to make this moment count, not about racing to some ideal future that you may not even want when you get there.