I recently shared with you about a part of my experience attending the She Speaks conference for writers and speakers. There are many lessons I took away from my three days, and as they come to me, I’ll share them.
In preparation for the conference, I had to write a one pager for my publisher appointments. I think that is the next step of what my assignment should be. But that is still yet to be thought out and prayed about. I put together my one pager using my plain 8 by 11 white sheet. As soon as I got there and started seeing everyone else’s professional, glossy 1 pager, I started feeling inadequate. I had prayed about it when I was preparing it, but upon actually seeing others, mine just didn’t feel ‘good enough’.
Ironically, I think this was one of the best parts of the conference prior to getting there: there were email reminders that we each had been prayed for, by name. For our publisher appointments, those had been prayed for as well, as they were matching us with our requests. There were emails that reminded us that we each had a space there, and that we were hand selected to be there, so we should not give into the negative thoughts that they knew would be sure to take over our minds.
Until we actually got the conference.
When you see 799 other women, and authors sitting in the same room, comparison has a way of creeping into your mind. The thoughts quickly started: what am I really doing here? I’m not good enough. My writing/speaking is not good enough. STOP!!! One of the main speakers made sure to dispel that thought of negativity: Yes, YOU were meant to be here. God opened the doors for YOU to be here. What a calming effect that has!
Are you in a state of comparing your life to someone else’s? STOP! We are all at different parts of our journey. Some people showed up not knowing what their purpose was for even attending the conference. Others showed up with an entire written book in hand, and others at some in between phase. God has a purpose for where you are in your life. Don’t be too busy looking at someone else’s 10th year of doing something to your 1st year, you will always lose in that comparison.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that you made each one of us as individuals. You remind us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and there’s no need for comparison. We were all made by you and you have a purpose for each of our lives, but we must accept our assignments from you.