can reading other blogs be bad for your health?

A few weeks ago, I read a blog post by one of my favorite bloggers.

She gave us a month by month glimpse

of the goals she had set and accomplished

during the year 2012, with deep gratitude to everyone

who supported her and her dreams throughout the year.

When I finished reading the blog post – my first thought was

holy shit, I’m a loser. ;-)

I had done so little compared to her.

I felt like i had been

less productive

less ambitious

less organized

with my life in 2012,

compared to her.

Compared to her.

It's hard sometimes not to feel intimidated by others

especially when they seem like

money making,

creative geniuses on steroids.

It's so important to remind ourselves

that everyone's dream is different,

and even without any dreams at all

we all have a place in this world.

It's so important to know for ourselves

why we do this.

Why we make art.

Why we share stories.

Why we reach out to connect to others.

I didn’t publish that book

or go on an art retreat

or reach that six figure salary.

I wasn’t featured in a magazine

or interviewed

and I don’t have a gazillion followers.

But i have you. :-)

I did however, do a bunch of other things

that made me happy.

Like connect with all of you beautiful peeps... :-)

Like be a good mother to my son and a good daughter to my mother.

Like write every day in my journal

and make art every day

and take morning walks with the crunching snow

under my boots.

Like noticing how beautiful the moon is at night

and toasting to the gods of colourful sunsets.

I do what i do because it makes me happy.

Not because it makes me a million dollars -

because it makes me happy.

Here's to trusting that wherever we are in life,

we're all ok.

xox