I have been reading fewer blogs lately; I purged by blogroll and I frequently hit 'mark all read.' It's not because I don't like blogging anymore (although there are some issues) or that I can't find any blogs worth reading (quite the opposite) but because, for a while, I was consuming too much. I was reading and reading and reading.. and then came the side effects.
First of all, there is comparison, which we all know if the thief of joy and then there were the idea thieves, which irritate and upset but there is little you can do about them. Lastly, there is the competition and popularity contest that I refuse to be a part of. I found myself in a vicious circle of getting angry at little things that really don't matter.
Then I realised we have ourselves to blame, on the most part, for feeling like this. We can choose to ignore the negative and focus on the positive, if only we consume less and create more. If only we stop comparing ourselves and second guessing everyone's motives, or getting upset about things that really don't matter.
So I have been working hard on producing content I am excited about and ignoring everybody else. I'm not here to compete against anyone. I want to read blogs and engage with their writers but I also want to avoid negativity, it's all about balance and not taking things so seriously. So long as no one directly copies my words or steals my photographs, I can ignore the irritants and nuisances. Ignorance is bliss, right? I certainly feel happier for it. Originality trumps all.
