over the weekend, a very wise person gave me some good advice.
it started when i read a paper that a friend at law school had written. the paper was great. it was well-footnoted, smoothly written, solidly researched, and interesting. now, the guy who wrote it is a good friend, and a smart and motivated guy. i like and admire him, and i was genuinely happy for him that he had written such a great piece.
so that was my first feeling.
my second feeling was: i'm such a schmuck! MY paper doesn't look near that good, and it's not likely to any time soon. i felt left behind, inferior, and stressed.
basically, the advice is simply, don't let that kind of thing get to you. be genuinely happy for the success of others, and nothing more. don't take that next step, comparing yourself to them. no good can come of that!
it's true. charlie spends too much time looking around himself nervously. he's at his best when he charges ahead into the next challenge, doing things he loves, learning, discussing, and so on.
First ever Peanuts cartoon. And kind of apt, I believe.
