My mom is a 4th grade teacher and she was recently administering standardized year-end tests for her students. A big part of making sure the test is carried out fairly is removing all distractions from her classroom, covering bulletin boards and just seeing to it that the students can completely focus on their exams.
Another part of it is ensuring that their knowledge is measured...not what they can get from another student. She was sharing with me how she has to remind them to keep their eyes on their own paper...since it's really supposed to be about what they know and not anything else.
Then I ran across the lovely artwork pictured above. How often do we get so focused on what other people around us are doing? Comparing ourselves, our lives to people we know or strangers on the Internet, whose lives seem more interesting or more exciting than our own.
Life is too short and too precious to waste one second comparing or feeling bad about a particular hand we've been dealt. Let's keep our eyes on our own paper and find ways that we can shine as our unique little selves.
To order a copy of the gorgeous print by the talented Emily McDowell, click here.
