Apples and Oranges

Greetings everyone,

I hope you're having a lovely week of spring weather.  I've been enjoying the mix of rain and sun, and the smell of the flowers.  I've gotten a chance to visit with friends I haven't seen for months and to make plans for the summer ahead.

Now I am fortunate to move in circles with many talented people.  I know mediums, psychics, acupuncturists, shamans, and artists.  I also unfortunately tend to compare myself with other people.  (I'm sure none of you ever have that problem).  Having good role models around is important, but it can become unhealthy if you measure yourself too strictly against others.  Really I've accomplished quite a bit in the past few years, but I just tend to be surrounded by successful and exceptional people.  When I get off balance rather than see this as a blessing, I tend to berate myself for not being as good, talented, psychic,  ect... as whomever I measuring myself against.

 I don't always do this.  When I was in college and taking my first drawing requirement class my easel was right next to a girl who was focusing on illustration.  I was focusing on ceramics and at the time I really couldn't draw.  (I'm out of practice now, but I am much better than I was then).  It was apparent by the end of the first week that I had a choice:  I could cease comparing myself with her or any of the other drawing majors, or I could slowly and tortuously drive myself completely crazy.  So I stopped comparing myself to her and I made it through.  After that it went a lot easier, except when the model came around during the break and looked at our drawings.

This may shock a lot of people, but surrounded as I am by such exceptionally gifted psychics I don't feel particularly psychic.  I often describe myself as intuitive or empathic.  Which is a much messier talent in some respects.  I sometimes don't always recognize when I am feeling someone else rather than myself.  Through use of oracle decks and runes I have learned to focus my senses to give psychic information, but I worked at it.  For some it just comes easy.  So I do my best and it does come easier than it used to, but it can be a little tough on the ego when people are so phenomenal without even trying.

The problem with comparing myself with the people I know is the same one I had in art school:  a clay artist comparing my drawing with someone whose focus is drawing.  I never thought of comparing their pottery or sculpture with mine.  (I was too busy thinking about how much I sucked at drawing).  My talents are different.  It took me a while to figure them out.  I see patterns, I can often tell where events will go by looking at the present.  I see meaning in random images, words, and sounds.  In chaos I see an underlying order.  In short I read omens.  This is on top of picking up emotional energy.  So apples and oranges when comparing myself to a medium (one who communicates with passed on spirits).

So how does this apply to you?  Are you constantly comparing yourself to someone else in a way that makes you feel less?  If you are committed to comparing yourself or your accomplishments to others are you taking into account where you both started from?  Do you absolutely know how well someone else is doing, because sometimes what looks great from the outside looks quite differently from within.  Are you comparing how something looks rather than how it feels?  Maybe you don't want a house as big as your sister's house does that make you less successful?  Does your life feel like a contest rather than a journey or adventure?  Does someone else's success detract from your own?  If so maybe you need to think about what elements you need for your own happiness rather than trying to measure your satisfaction against the perceived satisfaction of others.  I'll try and do the same.

Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle