There& #39;s one part of my brain that still thinks I& #39;m at that years old level of passion and inspiration and obsessive dedication and skill and I& #39;ve to keep telling it to slow down and dream small. Smaller. Smaller. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😂" title="Face with tears of joy" aria-label="Emoji: Face with tears of joy">

(I used to be able to write and read and draw and remember and basically do everything much better at one point years ago. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤔" title="Thinking face" aria-label="Emoji: Thinking face"> Now I& #39;m getting back into it all, but through ridiculously amusing babiest of steps. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😌" title="Relieved face" aria-label="Emoji: Relieved face">)

Something I& #39;m super thankful for is how interested I continue to be in how things happen. Like in this years-long re-locating (of myself) of sorts, I& #39;ve been fascinated with what works and what doesn& #39;t and how to frame this in relation to my life in general and such.

Just sharing some thoughts that might be interesting to others going through something similar.
I& #39;ve found that skill and talent and aptitude are terrible scales to measure yourself with. Friendships and relationships are not a talent contest. And there are many other things that

matter in the professional sphere. Recruiters know this (I& #39;ve been one myself). Not that there isn& #39;t a value tag attached to skill and talent and aptitude, but it& #39;s worth exploring the possible of framing your life around other things.

When you find yourself back by a few

steps (months, years, decades) to a level at which you were before and grew out of, it& #39;s not very useful to yearn for where you were. It& #39;s excellent though to work from where you are now. By which I mean that the reference point for the work you produce now should not be the

work you used to produce at your "best", but the work you produced say a few days ago. You& #39;ve to reframe what progress means. Also, helps if the focus is not climbing back up the stairs you fell down. It& #39;s learning how to climb.

Holding on to the glorified memory of the person you used to be is counterproductive. Getting to know the person you are is a most excellent thing, and I recommend it 100%. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😎" title="Smiling face with sunglasses" aria-label="Emoji: Smiling face with sunglasses">