JUST A BUNCH OF ROOKIES

I've never considered myself much of a writer, or rather, didn't think I was any good at it. It wasn't until I got a job in a newsroom full of people (who seemed to like my work) that I began to acknowledge that maybe I'm not too shabby after all. Still, I had a lot to learn.

I think for so long, I doubted myself and held back out of fear of being inadequate. I told myself I needed to be on a certain 'level' first, never considering how necessary it is to be a rookie.  

I think we live in a world that only demands the best and that makes us feel pressured to perform at a certain standard, or not at all. I've learnt that you don't need to be the best, or even good at something to do it. If it puts a smile on that mug of yours, then it's always worth a shot. You'll learn through all your experiences as you go along. Even though not being where you want to be can feel discouraging, we've all got to start somewhere and work through those growing pains.

I feel like there's also this notion that you can't do things because there are a lot of people doing it, people that are more established than you and seem to have mastered their craft. It's easy to look at something or someone and instantly set a bar for yourself based on what you see but we never really witness the hard work people put into getting to that point either. Others' success should be the basis of our inspiration, not our envy. I can assure you that they were rookies at some point too.

The important thing is to embrace the rookie (take a shot every time I say "rookie"?) stages and be willing to learn so that at some point, you can be just as pleased with yourself as you are with others and if not, at least be comforted by the fact that you tried. It's really never too late to try.

I know this is starting to sound like some lame TED talk or whatever, but hear me out. In essence, what I'm trying to say here is:

START ANYWHERE

DON'T LET WHERE YOU WANT TO BE MAKE YOU FEEL BAD ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE

YOU ARE ALWAYS A WORK IN PROGRESS

DON'T HOLD BACK OUT OF FEAR OF INADEQUACY

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO AT THE SAME PACE AS OTHERS

STOP PUTTING YOUR PLANS ON HOLD

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BETTERING YOURSELF,

(among other things I can't think of right now).

So, this year I'm making a vow to try the things I've wanted to try. I'm definitely not a "new year, new me" kinda gal but the beginning of a new year does feel very welcoming of change and I'm standing right here with arms wide open.

This year is about cutting the chit chat and putting plans into action. It means silencing that little self-doubting bitchass in my head- nobody likes her.

If you're ever doubting yourself, I'll leave you with the words of someone potentially wiser than all the great gurus themselves, Jake the Dog, who says "sucking at something is the first step to being sort of good at something."  

Go suck at something.