Thursday, December 10, 2009

Creativity Tips: Recognize the Rat

Every year, I have my daughter Mary address holiday cards so they're ready to go in the mail the day after Thanksgiving.

This year, I'm running so fast in so many directions, I forgot. I have the cards; they're lovely. But I don't want to send them now. Why?

Because I'm not the first to get my holiday cards in the mail.

Yes. That's right. I have turned seasonal greetings of love and joy, friendship and good wishes, into a competition. I turn everything into a competition. It's not good. It's bad. Real bad.

It's also possible I'm not the only one on the CI team doing this. I'm guessing, of course. But I can hear you laughing through the computer screen -- and I don't think you're laughing at me.

We need to recognize how this became a rat race, folks. And then we need to do something about it. I, for one, am ready to stop being the rat.

After all, as Mary Schmich said in one of my favorite essays: The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

2 comments:

Leslie said...

Oh, Jan, I've never been first with my holiday cards so it's not an issue for me :-) Mine are sitting on the counter, waiting patiently to be addressed, and I've decided that NO ONE cares (except perhaps the grandparents) if or when their card arrives. They will go out...soon...very soon...

Jan said...

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you suggesting that I could still mail the cards?

Wow. Now there's a concept.