Blowing out someone else’s candle won’t make yours burn any brighter.
I’m quite into my candle metaphors at the moment.
My dearly departed father would often say, “it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness”. Translation: if you’re not happy, do something about it. That’s probably where my last LinkedIn post came from.
I realise that was quite coarse but it’s LinkedIn…you have to be controversial to get noticed, right?
Have you ever “rage-stalked”?
Today’s post comes from a far more positive place. It’s about recognising everybody’s achievements and not comparing yourself to others.
I know I’m not alone when I say I’ve “rage-stalked” people in the past. You know what I mean — we’ve all done it. We scroll tirelessly through Instagram and bitch about people. In reality, we’re probably quite jealous.
Likewise, we see somebody posting about another achievement on LinkedIn and just want to tell them to shut up.
There we go, I admit it. I’m human and I get jealous.
Why bother?
At least, I used to. I know I am quietly successful. The idea of talking myself up (professionally at least) on social media fills me with dread. That said, that doesn’t mean I begrudge anybody else sharing their achievements.
Nowadays I say fair play to them — they have worked hard and they’re proud to show it off. Why wouldn’t they be?
It’s so easy to get into an endless cycle of jealousy and bitching, comparing other people’s lives to your own and working yourself up into a frenzy.
The question is…why bother?
Comparison is the thief of joy, and another person’s success is not synonymous with your failure. Jealousy and anger are such strong emotions. Why waste your energy channelling all those negative thoughts into somebody else? It’s not healthy and it won’t take you any further.
Embrace the competition
I used to feel the blood drain from my face whenever I saw another freelance copywriter announcing that he/she had achieved something great. I saw them as a threat.
Newsflash: they’re not. I think the best maxim for not worrying about competition is one I once read about bread, of all things.
“Everybody likes bread — some people like Hovis; some like Kingsmill. You could be offering exactly the same service as somebody else, but if they like you, they’ll stick with you.”
If your client would switch breads at the drop of a hat, maybe it’s time to find a new client.
No longer do I shy away from meeting other copywriters. I’m confident enough now to realise that we’re a community and we should be supporting each other. The same goes for you in your industry — you likely all know each other and have your own strengths.
Give them a like
So, next time you’re feeling the “rage” or panicking that somebody else is doing better than you, take a step back. Breathe.
You know you’re working hard to make your business what it is, whether you’re shouting about it or not. They’re doing exactly the same.
I challenge you all to give the next post a little thumbs up, or maybe even a few encouraging words. Trust me — it feels so much better than being negative.
Now go light your candle.
