When I read all your beautiful blogs, and look at your amazing pictures, and admire your gorgeous outfits, and ooo and awe over your wonderful handmade goodies, usually I feel...
- amazed at all the crafty women out there
- excited about your new baby and adorable kiddies
- ready to try your new recipe
- thrilled with how your latest project turned out
- proud that we are bloggy buddies!
But sometimes I feel...
inadequate.
Have you ever heard the Ben Folds song, there's always someone cooler than you?
Smile
Like you've got nothing to prove
No matter what you might do
There's always someone out there cooler than you
It's a pretty good song. It has a few swearsies in it, though. And I'd like to point out that the song ends with the lyrics "nerds gone wild, yea yea yea."
Anyway, the point is that blogging is a great big world of amazing people. And sometimes it's easy to feel, well, not quite as amazing as the rest.
Have you ever felt this way? How do you give yourself a bloggy boost of self confidence?
Here's a few words I turn to when I feel like I'm not up to snuf.
"There are different kids of gifts, but the same spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in Glory." Colossians 3: 1-4
In all things we were created for uniquely beautiful purposes. In our bloggy lives, our home lives, our family and wifey and mommy lives. I love showing you a glimpse into my life. There will always be cooler bloggers than me, but I'm just going to keep on smiling.
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Laura, I am a new follower of yours. I feel like a blog stalker because I glean so much from all these awesome blogs and do not contribute too much. I am starting to post on my own blog (alwayssewlove.blogspot.com) and that is both fun and scary! Thank you for encouraging me in that. I think your blog is great and I pray your day is filled with many blessings - both big and small.
ReplyDeleteI totally feel like this sometimes... In fact I blogged about it a couple of weeks ago: http://www.mandipidy.com/2010/11/sunday-devotional-how-do-you-identify.html
ReplyDeleteI struggle so much with finding my identity in my blogging/crafting stuff... and when I don't feel like I measure up with the talent surrounding me, I get discouraged and/or jealous.
Thank you for the reminder about the gifts that God has given us! And for the record, I think that you blog and shop are fabulous! :]
I can totally, 100% relate! We kinda talked about this when we met up the other day! You wrote what we were feeling so eloquently! I think you're amazing, successful, and way cool. :)
ReplyDeleteAshley
http://ashleyanderic.blogspot.com
I feel that way pretty much all the time. But I have to remember I'm just starting out and discovering my taste and refining my talents and learning patience in creation :). I also need to remember we all are at different places in our life with different challenges facing us. We just need to take what we've been given and do our best with it. So even if my rental home with two energetic/destructive small children doesn't look like the grand, pure white perfection of others, that's okay. They don't have the same challenges I have. And that's okay, too. :)
ReplyDeleteYes. Yes. Yes. I feel that way a lot. I also struggle with comments. I've let myself fall into the "I didn't get any comments today" trap. At one point, I took down all the "recent visitor" gadgets because I found myself looking at those to see who was coming - which isn't bad, but I was doing it for the wrong reasons. The fact is, I blog the way I want to blog. I try to blog in a way that glorifies God and if I'm doing that, then nothing else matters. I like that song you posted - there WILL always be someone better, but that doesn't mean someone won't get something from my blog. If my blog helps ONE person, then it is all worth it. So what if I don't have 3,000 followers or have my crafts featured on all the blog sites out there. I craft because I love it. I cook because it's fun. I write about verses because I've learned something and think that someone else could use that verse that day and because I believe we should all keep learning about the Lord. I blog this way because that's how I know best and it's me. I do what I love and I don't have to prove anything to anyone.
ReplyDeleteWow. That was a lot of random thoughts thrown together and probably doesn't make any sense. Thank you for your post today. It was needed!
I too have struggled with these feelings... and continue to do so even more when I get compliments from friends saying "I wish I was crafty like you" or "You have so much talent, I'm jealous"...while all those things make me feel awesome, I also feel bad at the same time because of course what I post is the good stuff...the crafts that turn out or the recipes that are simply amazing...having really nothing to do with me! lol And then that makes me think... those blogs that I adore are doing the same thing... I find my self wishing that my house had more order and my kids were calmer and that life in general was just simple... and then I remember that other blogs are struggling too... only they are just sharing the good stuff... not the messes on the floor, and the screaming kids and the crafts that didn't turn out so great... I think we all have so much to gain from all the messes life brings ourway too...and we all have them...no matter how "perfect" our blogs are! lol :) Thanks so much for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteI feel that way a LOT in blog land!
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to remember that somewhere, someone is looking at YOU and thinking the same thing. ;)
Totally agree, Laura. Thanks for writing this and sharing it with us...we love you and know what you mean (as you can already see from the many comments above). It's a great reminder, especially during advent, to realize even though our blogs may appear pretty & fun, real life isn't always that way and we learn the most from challenges and messes, don't we?
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to know I'm not the only one!! I think I might print out that verse and stick it to my computer - thanks so much for sharing it. Because I feel like this A Lot!!
ReplyDeleteNot to go TMI on you - but before I started blogging, I had gone through some pretty rough stuff with someone who used to be a friend. And basically she made me feel like I was pretty worthless.
Blogging was kind of my "therapy" - to prove to myself that she was wrong. So yeah, I still slide into those old feelings pretty easily.
Anyway - thanks for the post. I love your blog and the way your write - Along for the Ride is definately on my "must read" list!! :)
I feel the same way and I'm so thankful that you said it OUT LOUD (well, in typing & posting form).
ReplyDeleteIt often feels like what was once a place of community and being creative often becomes crowded and competitive.
I always feel pressure to come up with the "next great blog thing" and it's not enjoyable. I just want to be creative, share it and admire other's creativity.
So I just totally appreciate what you posted.
Also, I love that you mentioned Ben Folds.
Oh, how I love me some Ben Folds.
Love the verses too! those are keepers for me!
I feel like that all the time. I hope to some day have my home as nice as thiers but at times it can be slow going.
ReplyDeleteHolly
Oh my. I loved this post. Sometimes when I blog hop and see so many cute homes all decorated so nice or how they dress I feel the same way as your post. So a huge thank you for this amazing post today.
ReplyDeleteNice reminder to just be ourselves :)
ReplyDeletegirl, i love this post. and first of all, i am IN LOVE with the items you sent for project 320 donations. in fact, i was so in love that i placed my own order tonight. i couldn't help myself! and, i kid you not that i was having anxiety over which color rosettes to choose! my husband thinks i'm crazier than he already knew i was. second of all, everything you make is so BEAUTIFULLY made. the pictures are so wonderful that you have of the items but they don't even do it justice.
ReplyDeletei get a little (lot) overwhelmed in blogland. i really had to limit the little voices i am taking in from the addicting world of reading blogs. i had to cut out a lot of fabulous readings that weren't doing much for me except making me going crazy and seriously feeling stressed over all the impressions i was taking in. i have a few blogs i love, like yours, and have to commit to not going clickcrazy and branching out too far.so, thank you for your sweet blog and for pointing us back to Christ and how he loves us so. thank you for sharing your talents that He blessed you with!
and i'll close this super long comment with:
nerds gone wild, yea yea yea!
Oh, I feel like that sometimes....totally. It's easy to get our eyes focused on others and what we can/cannot do instead of on the things that are important in life. And you're brave enough to be real. I love this post!
ReplyDeleteAwesome post. I feel the same way. It's so great to find a crafty blog that gives glory to God. P.S. The Glass Castle is, in my opinion, better than Half Broke Horses.
ReplyDeleteI feel like that ALL the time. Thanks for sharing those beautiful scriptures and your sweet post. I think YOU ARE AMAZING!!! :)
ReplyDelete