When People are Better than You at Stuff

So, here's a thing you will discover when you dive into something you love: There will be people already doing the thing you love, the thing you want to be SO GOOD AT, who are better at than you are.

You have two choices to make, but only one that will make you feel good for the long term: you can quit the thing and leave, or you can face the fear and learn. Now, I am so much better at accepting this when it is about sewing. I know I'm an advanced beginner sewer at best, and it doesn't bother me. I happily soak up all the knowledge I can from my mentors and hope I get better. I do what I can and am proud of improvement I make.

But it's different with makeup. For a long time, I dreamed of becoming a makeup artist, primarily working in the theatre. Unfortunately, fear, finances and an unsupportive ex kept me from really pursuing that dream until my wonderful new hubs came along. Even then, a six week course in "Makeup Artistry" hardly makes me a winner of Face Off (if you watch that show...). So, mostly, it's been a "learn as you go" thing for me. But, as I REALLY REALLY WANT TO BE SUPER GREAT AT IT, my ego about it is bare, raw, and extremely insecure. 

So, when I see someone who is just an awesome, amazingly talented natural at painting on people, I forget all the logical "there's a place for everyone" arguments and deflate faster than a balloon at a two-year-old's birthday party. WHICH IS ALL ON ME AND SOMETHING I MUST CHANGE. I must get to the part of me that is accepting of my limitations and excited to grow, like with sewing.

People suggest that you need to "have confidence", but I don't know how to do that. Guess the therapist has a new angle for me to work on. Let me tell you, friends: following your dreams brings out the best and the worst in you. Come with me and watch how I start to trust there is a place for everyone, to remember to sit at the feet of the masters and LEARN!