All about YOU

Something that has increasingly been brought to my attention is people that feel like they need outside validation of themselves. I'm not talking about anyone specific, because I've had this conversation with a lot of people in only a few weeks. They hear people tell them that they're good at this or that, or how much they like them, whatever, whatever. But still feel like they need something OUTSIDE themselves to validate all of that. This is what baffles me.

Why do people feel that them by themselves isn't good enough? And I mean you telling yourself that you're what that is. I don't understand why people need someone else, or something else to tell them that. Now I know this sounds a little like I should be eating my slice of humble pie, but it's not that. I'm not saying I'm the best at anything, but I know, all by myself, I'm a pretty awesome person. 

Sometimes shit happens. But I don't let that stop me from thinking that I'm not going to do well. What defines you, isn't people or things, but how YOU react to them.  See how this all stems from YOU? 

I'll get a little more personal than I'd like and share something to try and illustrate my point. 

I just came off the worst academic semester of my entire life. But I'm going to keep swimming. I got an email from school suggesting I take a class for study skills, blah blah, or face possibly getting kicked out of school. Basically, remedial law class. Half the class got this email. 

For me, I felt bad enough about my grades, I didn't have anything left in me to be mad or upset. I was just tired. But I had two options: go, or get kicked out. There were people that were crying because they didn't want the other students to think that they weren't smart enough, or that they had to wear a dunce hat, and that everyone would know and make fun of them because they were the stupid kids. Normally, I would've reacted this way, but I was too focused on the "face dismissal" part of the email to let that bother me. I heard of people actually wanting to drop out instead of having "everyone" know that they were having to take an extra class. Are you kidding me??

(I later found out I got this email by mistake - Praise Jesus - but that's not the point) 

The point is, how people reacted to this email is what made them. Not the fact that they got the email. 

If you felt like you were going wear a dunce cap, that's a reflection on how YOU felt about being there, not the other students. If you felt that other students were going to ridicule you because your grades weren't as high as there's even though you worked your ass off, that's a problem YOU got to deal with. Because those other students aren't in that class, and they aren't worried a damn bit that you are. Who cares that you're in the class? YOU. No one else. 

For the more religious folks: 

Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways", declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." 

I put this in here to show that we're not supposed to understand everything. But it's important to have faith that you're on the right track. I feel like HE will put you where you need to be, and that HE's already got it all figured out. 

So don't worry, don't have doubts, don't be too hard on yourself. If you're made in HIS image (as I believe) and you doubt yourself, wouldn't you be doubting HIM too? 

It's the reacting to things in life that define who are you. You're not the bomb because you got a bomb job. You get the bomb job because you're the bomb. 

Even though my grades weren't wear I wanted them, that's still not keeping me from my Jimmy Choos. 

oh so funky