by Dean Trout


As many of you know, I am a retired speech therapist with 35 years of experience, but you may not know I also hold a diploma in Interior Design. That is why I follow decorating blogs in addition to speech bloggers  One of my favorite bloggers of quick and inexpensive decorating ideas is “Debbie” over at Debbiedoo’s.  One of her recent posts really struck a cord with me as a Speech Therapist.  She wrote about not letting comparison steal our JOY.  I knew I had to blog about it because it applies to all of us regardless of our professions.
Debbie’s words of, “Don’t let comparisons steal your JOY” are very powerful.  Do you compare yourself to other SLPs?  Your therapy? Your Blog? The TpT materials you create? The apps you author? Your knowledge? (Yea, I wanted to emphasize that one.)  It is so easy to do as we interact on Twitter, Facebook, etc. We talk to so many people who are doing such amazing things and then we start comparing. Even with all my years of experience and my accomplishments, I can start feeling very inferior when I interact with all you SLPs out there.  I have to guard against it because it leaves me feeling like I know nothing and what little I do know is so outdated!  I have thought about just gracefully bowing out and fully retiring many many times.  Debbie’s blog was the attitude adjustment I needed.
Debbie’s blog prompted me to ask some important questions regarding why I blog and why I am creating Speech materials for TpT.  So I asked myself:

• Do you love what you are doing?
• Do you love to share?
• Do you want to help other younger SLPs learn the tricks of the trade you aren’t taught in college?
• Do you want to help make their day just a little easier?

Since I answered YES to those questions I decided I’ll keep on doing what I’m doing because it brings me JOY.  I also decided that I need to stop comparing myself to all of you who are better in your skills, or have more followers, or sell more products. My JOY doesn’t come from accolades, or recognition, but from my own personal self gratification of helping others.
Beyond all that my greatest JOY has been the friendships I have made through Perkilou (yahoo groups), Facebook, and Twitter.  Especially those SLPeeps who love me as your SLPmother!
Perhaps you are feeling a little discouraged in your work, your placement or with your blog or the sales of your apps/materials, if so then ask yourself these simple questions and stop comparing yourself with others.  Don’t let comparison steal your joy!  Debbie offers this free 8×11 printable on her blog. HERE Please go there to download it today.  You might just want to follow her blog, too!
 
Featured Author/Organization: Dean Trout and 2 Gals Speech Products

Dean Trout retired after 35 years as an SLP in June 2008. She has worked in public schools, private clinic, Home Health Care, and Head Start Centers in West Virginia and Kentucky. Throughout her years as an SLP, varied work settings provided Dean with opportunity to work with a huge array of communication disorders. She brings this knowledge and experience to you through her creative product development. Dean is a graduate of Marshall University (Huntington, WV, 1972) and Morehead State University (Morehead, KY, 1986).
Dean has presented on Speech-Language topics at state conferences in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky.
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