"Don't try to be better than your predecessors or contemporaries. Try to be better than yourself." -- William Faulkner
Writers encounter a lot of competition. We compete for ever-decreasing publishing spots, whether in books or in magazines or on the web. We compete for publishing dollars. We compete for editors' time and interest. We compete for marketing dollars.
I suppose that is the same in most industries and endeavors. My husband's power supply business competes with other businesses selling similar products. Athletes compete for first place. Some go on to compete for the "gold" in the Olympics.
Faulkner's words remind me that my true competitor is myself. Am I doing better today than I did yesterday, the week before, the year before, the year before? If so, then I am a winner.
And then let's get to the really important things: Am I kinder today than I was yesterday? Am I more in tune with the Spirit today than I was yesterday? Am I more obedient today than I was yesterday?
So, for today, I am grateful for those days when I do better than I did the day before.
I'm grateful for your recent post about pennies. I was having a day that easily leads me to be stressed. Running into the store for some last minute items, I noticed a penny on the ground, passed it, but thought about your post. I realized that my Heavenly Father was watching over me. I didn't want to pass by any blessings, so I turned around to pick up the penny. I smiled as I slipped it into my pocket, and the smile stayed. At the checkout, I noticed two more pennies on the ground. This time, I did pass them by. I wanted someone else to smile, too. You know, I actually enjoyed the rest of the day. Thank you.
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