One of the greatest joys in life is creating something that is truly yours.
Children fall into this category. As do businesses, inventions, books, songs, paintings — and chocolate chip cookies made from your family’s secret recipe.
Upon presentation to the world, people will coo about, fuss over and coddle your baby. It will seem to be the center of their universe.
Until another baby comes along. Which it will. Which from your vantage point of the newly displaced you will invariably view as cuter, rounder, more smiley, more cuddly, a better eater-sleeper-nurser than your own.
Those people who once seemed enamored with your baby are no longer paying one ounce of attention to it.
Leaving you not only baffled and confused, but depressed.
One of the toughest — and most important — lessons creators must learn as quickly and early as possible is that, when all is said and done, no one cares about your baby as much as you do. And certainly not for very long.
Once you’ve mastered the art of separating yourself from what you create, well.
The ride gets a whole lot easier.
Who’s smiling now?
