Nobody’s built like me. And for much of this year, I forgot that.
I spent too much of this year comparing and getting upset when doors didn’t open. I got irritated when I thought that I was doing everything right, but that I wasn’t getting the opportunities that other people were getting. I got jealous, I felt inadequate, and I got upset.
I sent pitch after pitch, and resume after resume, and still, the jobs and contracts didn’t come — not the ones I’d convinced myself that I deserved anyway — and instead of focusing on myself, I paid way too much attention to what other folks had coming their way.
There’s a saying that’s been shared a lot lately that says that if you knock on a door and it doesn’t open, then it’s not your door. So the answer to the question, Why aren’t they asking me?, that I’d yell to myself every time I thought I was overlooked for something is simple. It’s because those were their doors.
And I designed myself.
Years of formal and informal training gave me a combination of skills that no one else has. God didn’t give my path to anyone else, and that’s for a good reason.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]Psalm 139:14 reminds us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”[/inlinetweet] He didn’t make me like anyone else, and He for sure doesn’t make any mistakes. Ever.
So, I’m dedicated to making 2017 a different space — one in which I know who I am, what I have, and what I bring to the table. I want to be so focused on my upcoming blessings that I don’t even have time to look around.
As we get ready to go into the New Year, here are [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]three ways we can remind ourselves that we’ve got the juice[/inlinetweet]:
Celebrate your strengths.
When you know who you are and what you’re worth, you won’t need anyone else to validate them. And it’s the same in your career and in business. It’s important for every brand to know exactly what attributes it has that are especially strong and what makes it different than its competitors. It’s the definition of a competitive advantage.
Roll with your weaknesses.
In my humble opinion, some perceived weaknesses aren’t ones that we necessarily need to fix. They add to our uniqueness and usually benefit us in other ways. I’m really sensitive, and that sensitivity is the same quality that makes me empathetic and compassionate enough to help other people tell their stories, while it’s also what can keep me upset when I don’t need to be. I can roll with my weaknesses, understanding the part they play in my character while keeping them in check when they need to stay on the sideline.
Keep doing your thing.
You can’t worry about what everyone else is doing when you’re trying to stay in your own lane. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]Keep learning, keep praying, keep working.[/inlinetweet]
B.I. said, Hov remind yourself
Nobody built like you, you designed yourself
I agree I said, my one of a kind self
Getting stoned every day like Jesus did
What he said, I said, has been said before
Just keep doin your thing he said, say no more— From A Dream by Jay-Z