I had this flash just now: how absurd it is that we EVER compare ourselves with anyone else. If that were a smart thing to do, then how could this ever happen? He might say: oh, no one has ever used colors like that or spaces like that or dots like that or illustrated the possibility that we are three in one or a million in one… Or he might have said: pastels aren't supposed to be use that way… I better not...
So if in art it would be a crying shame to compare your creation or that creative urge or process to anyone else's, then it's absurd to compare ANYTHING you do to what anyone else does (or feels or chooses)---unless that is someone or something you've very consciously picked as an example, or goal, in which case you only get to use it as an arrow and not a benchmark.
One person's complete presence or kindness is a product of their collective experience and expresses itself uniquely: your complete presence or kindness may look different, but it's enough to know that you value kindness and presence and seek to embody those traits in all that you do. It would be unkind to that person and yourself to compare yourself to them--b/c then you objectify them and separate yourself from them and maybe put them above you and then they don't get to be human and make mistakes and suck sometimes. Why would you take that experience away from them? So you're not disappointed?
So shift of perspective: why would it be disappointing to me that great, kind, smart people screw up? What if instead that made me love them and myself even more. Ohhh, I'm not there. I'm really resisting the idea that my idols can screw up and that's okay. Like no one wants to see their favorite author's photo on the book cover because often they don't look at all how you pictured them (gorgeous and smart). sometimes they dress really badly and are over weight and that means they're not allowed to write the most poignant, funny and compassionate literature you've ever read.
Ummm who does that nonsense point of view belong to? Is it truly mine?

So if in art it would be a crying shame to compare your creation or that creative urge or process to anyone else's, then it's absurd to compare ANYTHING you do to what anyone else does (or feels or chooses)---unless that is someone or something you've very consciously picked as an example, or goal, in which case you only get to use it as an arrow and not a benchmark.
One person's complete presence or kindness is a product of their collective experience and expresses itself uniquely: your complete presence or kindness may look different, but it's enough to know that you value kindness and presence and seek to embody those traits in all that you do. It would be unkind to that person and yourself to compare yourself to them--b/c then you objectify them and separate yourself from them and maybe put them above you and then they don't get to be human and make mistakes and suck sometimes. Why would you take that experience away from them? So you're not disappointed?
So shift of perspective: why would it be disappointing to me that great, kind, smart people screw up? What if instead that made me love them and myself even more. Ohhh, I'm not there. I'm really resisting the idea that my idols can screw up and that's okay. Like no one wants to see their favorite author's photo on the book cover because often they don't look at all how you pictured them (gorgeous and smart). sometimes they dress really badly and are over weight and that means they're not allowed to write the most poignant, funny and compassionate literature you've ever read.
Ummm who does that nonsense point of view belong to? Is it truly mine?

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