"It's just an empty cup."

It's awards season and the best I can come up with is a plagiarized post title.  Figures.  But Lightning McQueen of the hit kiddie movie, Cars, was spot on when he delivered that line referring to fame and trophies.

With that, this post goes out to all those freelancers who are suddenly a tad melancholy in this season of metals.

If you're as primordial as I am, then we have all had our share of Best (insert award title here) Ad Of The Year in the past.   Now --channeling a self-motivational coffee table book-- I say we are still winners.  Our ideas of success, however, have already changed.

From the thrill of bringing home the cup, now we are elated at literally bringing home the bacon and much more.

From the glory of fanfare and adulation, now we crave for the glory of good negotiation and on-time payment.

From the drunkenness of attention and appreciation, now we... er...

Ok, ok, personally, I still love the attention.  Otherwise, I wouldn't be blogging.  But now the attention we seek is more small-scale.  From industry-wide to, say, family-wide.  And that's the kind of well-meaning appreciation I wouldn't trade for the world.

Mind you, this isn't a negative progression (uh-huh, it is not a regression).  Freelancing is the next chapter in your life.  And it still comes with its own brand of wins and losses.  You may have gotten out of the rat race, but you still exist in the dog-eat-dog world.   In fact, in your new life, there's a lot more at stake.  And winning every little battle is a definite biggie.

If you still feel bad about not having the opportunity to add another feather on your cap this year, just take a good look at your old, dusty (that is, if you don't have the creepy fetish of polishing regularly), industry-provided trophy.  It's a memento of your greatness, and a reminder that you can still be greater --with or without a physical award.

Now look inside.  If it doesn't already contain missing Lego pieces, missing keys, the missing TV remote, or a horribly embarrassed spider --then it's just an empty cup.

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