Just Do You!

First, something to make you smile…

Mr. and Mrs. Dude are quite an eccentric couple with a rather odd sense of humor. They had two sons. When their boys were born, they named the older boy Mind Your Own Business and the younger one Trouble.

One day the brothers decided to play hide and seek. Trouble hid, while Mind Your Own Business counted to one hundred.

Mind Your Own Business began looking for his brother behind garbage cans and bushes, without success. Determined to find him, he then started looking in and under cars until a policeman approached him and asked, Officer: “What are you doing?”

Boy: “Playing a game,” the boy replied.

Officer: “What is your name?” the officer questioned.

Boy: “Mind Your Own Business,” the boy said matter-of-factly.

Stunned, the officer asked again, “what is your name?” to which the boy again replied, “Mind Your Own Business!”

Now furious the policeman inquired, “Young man, are you looking for trouble?!” The boy replied politely, but very firmly, “Yes, sir! Yes, I am.”

Something for the Mind

The word authenticity (with all of its five syllables) is a mouth full of a word to say. It is an important word. It houses the word authentic. When something or someone is said to be authentic or possesses authenticity, that is both, a compliment of the highest order, and a declaration that the person or thing is perceived as being true to themselves and living in their purpose.

Just as it is for actors to slip into character and play out their roles while pretending to be someone else as part of their job, I believe it is easy for us (just in the course of everyday life) to sometimes desire to be just like someone else. Remember the sports drink slogan, “Be like Mike”? That slogan was borne out of real desire often ingrained in our human experience. That desire creates a problem if (for example) we wanted to build a life or career for ourselves by emulating MJ’s court skills when in reality we can barely walk and chew gum at the same time. Therefore, we would probably lack any real ability to run while dribbling a ball.

There are lots of books being written, classes offered, and videos made, that promise to teach us how to learn this skill or that; to get rich quick; or become an overnight sensation. And some of us who idealize the success of a person in one field or another, readily take the bait without giving much thought to our own WHAT. Sure, someone might make a thing look like a really cool thing to be or do, but I believe our WHAT (as in WHAT is my own purpose) should always be in the forefront of our minds when considering making important moves in our lives.

This reminds me of one of Aesop’s Fables where a dog was running across a pond with a bone, sized perfectly and fitted snugly in his mouth. He looked down and saw what appeared to be another dog with what appeared to be a larger bone. No longer satisfied with what he had, he desired to have the bigger bone. Not realizing that he was actually looking at an expanded reflection of himself, the dog bends to overtake the other dog and grab what he thought was a larger bone. He ended up dropping the bone that he had in his mouth and losing it forever as it was swallowed up by the pond. The moral of the story in the context of this conversation is that rather than desiring what someone else has, we should run with what we have because what we see in others might just be an illusion. As the late great Maya Angelou famously said: “… they see my glory, but they don’t know my story.”

I do not believe that there is anything wrong with our having big, bold dreams, or wanting to enlarge our own territory, or adopting role models or even in finding inspiration in the success of others. If we want to be like Mike and are similarly naturally gifted as he, then there probably is not a problem. However, I believe that we accomplish more and attract our own level of success (great or small) when we find and unwrap our own unique brand of our WHAT and grow into our own authentic selves.  It is possible, though, that our authentic self could look like someone else’s life or dreams, and I believe that is okay. God did not create just one of anything. There is no lack in his provisions. In fact, to paraphrase scripture, he said that the fruit of his gifts and blessings are in good supply, but the takers are few. Yet he remains the rewarder of those who seek and find purpose in Him.

Meditation Verse: The meditation verse today is a paraphrased combination of Proverbs 19:21 and Jeremiah 29:11

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. The Lord says, “I have plans to prosper each one of you and not to harm you, plans to give each one of you hope and a future.”

Affirmations are pronouncements we make to encourage ourselves.

Our affirmations today are these. Feel free to repeat them with me.

• I am living the plans that the Lord has for me.
• I am living in purpose.
• I am anticipating success.
• I am protected from disaster or danger.
• I am living in hope.
• I am preparing for my prosperous future.
• I am prosperous because I am flourishing in my calling.
• I am blessed.

Something for the Heart and Soul-

Tip of the Week

Let us commit this week to live like we were a forethought, not an afterthought.

Let us commit to living in our own brand of authenticity. Let us remain focused on our work that is a head of us without looking to the left or the right and accept our own successes or opportunities for self-improvement.

 Appeal for Purpose

 O Most High God who accomplishes our requests in You. You have visited upon us your grace and mercy and have poured into us many attributes to make us more like you. You have forgiven us and saved us from our transgressions so that we may live an abundant life in and with you.

Lord, you continue to show your great and steadfast love to us who seek you, and you continue to bless us with even more than we can think or imagine. For this, we offer you many thanks and the highest praise.

And now, O Lord our God. In your forethought and foreknowledge of us, you have assigned for us a work to do for your glory. As we seek to discover and unwrap our purpose in you, please manifest in us understanding on how to accomplish our tasks according to your good purpose. And please, Lord, give us discernment to know when we are heading down a path that is not our own.

As you give us inspiration from many sources as you so bless, please help us to stay focused on our gifts without thought or envy of anyone else. Help us to be authentic–true to ourselves and true to you. And most of all, Father, please bless our hearts that in all of our doing, we continue to be a blessing to others.

It is by your spirit we pray this in Jesus’s high name.

Amen.