It is easy to look at others and feel as though somehow you don’t measure up – as though what you’re doing, what you have or how you look are not “enough.” Whether it is something that happened in your past that you believe disqualifies you from a great future or something you feel you are lacking that you must compensate for, the first step to overcoming it is to own it. To own it, means to accept what is, learn and grow from it, and embrace it as a part of your story that makes you uniquely you.
Those who are most resilient and successful are authentic. They embrace every ounce of who they are. And because they own their faults, not just their successes – and they own the traits they dislike as much as the ones they love – they show up fully and confidently. In fact, there is really very little anyone can do to make you hide or pretend to be something you aren’t when you “own” all aspects of who you are.
From your hair to your body shape to not having the background you’d prefer to have, embracing who and where you are means appreciating the uniqueness of who God created you to be. If you glean the lessons from your experiences, it’s a lot easier to own it because you acknowledge that much of your wisdom and growth have come from your unique experiences.
One of my favorite quotes is from Oscar Wilde who said, “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” Any energy spent attempting to hide, pretend or overcompensate for the experiences and traits that make you you, is energy that could be spent joyfully and unapologetically being yourself. When you spend your energy being yourself, it empowers you to successfully live the purpose you were uniquely created for.
