comparable

hello, blog. long time no see... it looks like my pursuits of a more practical profession have left my humanities skills in the closet. But before it collects too much dust, i thought i'd write a few more posts before i completely forget what it feels like to write.

as i think back on the last few days, i really wonder how i survived it all. this week... i moved out of my apartment, experience the chaos of work, said hello to a new long-distance relationship and flew to Norcal at the end of it all. But amongst all of that, i somehow found time to sit down and had one of the most thought provoking conversations i've ever had. it really started out as nothing more than a conversation about what kind of a person would be suitable "datee" for my friend, when it took a turn towards the question of identity. this is a question that i've heard people ask before, but i never thought about it the same way: how do we measure our success?

life is not a system comprised of points... and there aren't different prizes that you win when you've hit certain marks. Don't get me wrong, working hard definitely is a characteristic that everyone should strive for...but it doesn't mean that you are only limited to a number of good things if you are "mediocre".

and while using other people's success can definitely be an inspiration, i feel like we sometimes use it as a way of defining our own success. Oh, Johnny has a new job, and he's going on vacation? Man, my job doesn't do that for me... I must not be successful--that thought process is far too familiar for comfort. there has to be a way for us to be inspired but not let down, and motivated without feeling setback.