Most Hiking Trails have a Trail Overview.
This is the big billboard type thing somewhere near the trailhead that usually has a map and some kind of summary that sounds sorta like this:
(Fill in the Blank) Trail is a (So many Miles) trail that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from (Month to Month). Dogs must be kept on leash.
Whatchathink? Kind of amazing huh? Gives you a pretty good idea what the trail is all about. I now know that this trail is pretty, good for kids and restrained animals!
How handy!
Have you ever thought about people in this way?
(So and So) is an (age) (descriptive adjective) (gender) who does these things (list of verbs). As an added bonus, (my thoughts on the subject)
Sometimes I do, I’m not proud.
Have you ever thought this way about yourself? My guess is, it’s a lot more specific and a lot less kind.
Why are we so mean to us?
I would NEVER say outloud to someone else some of the things I have thought about me. Can you relate?
So, yeah, that’s gotta change.
I want to share with you some thoughts I’ve been playing with, do you want to play too? Here we go, are you ready? And a One and a Two and a… GO!
WE are ALL AMAZING.
That’s it.
Just kidding, that’s not it. But that’s HUGE!
We are ALL AMAZING. I don’t care what we look like, think like, speak like, have done, will do or are doing. I don’t care if it’s the WORST!
Our value was set the moment we took our first breath on this earth.
WE ARE AMAZING!
Drop the Mike.
Once we establish that this is a universal truth, the fun begins.
What if, everyday, you wrote ten things you like about yourself?
What would happen?
I’ll tell you what happened for me – I challenged myself to write 20 things a day for one week. Because I like to set impossible goals, just to see what happens. Here’s what my brain did with this challenge:
Day one. This is stupid. 20 things is a lot. Why am I doing this? I want to read my book. Okay fine, I’ll just see if I can do it. scribble, scribble, scribble. 20 things. That wasn’t the worst. It only took like 10 minutes. Okay. I can do this.
Right?!
But I kept going and guess what I discovered?
I LOVE ME SO MUCH!
All of it. I LOVE all of it! Everyday I thought I would run out of things to write and everyday I discovered something new and miraculous. Sometimes it was a weakness. Sometimes it was something I thought I didn’t particularly like. But I’m learning to look at it differently, because all of it combines to form ME.
And ME is pretty dang awesome!
Does that sound prideful? I used to think so too. But not anymore. I think we’re supposed to say it. I think we’re supposed to think it. I think it’s completely ridiculous to think otherwise!
We are Children of God, guys. Think about that. We are flawed and weird and sometimes enormous pains in the rear, but that doesn’t change WHO WE ARE. And even better is what we are capable of creating once we start realizing this is true!
YOU are exactly RIGHT, just the way you are, today. Not the way you used to be, not how you’ll be when you lose twenty pounds, not when you’re kids behave perfectly. RIGHT NOW. You are AMAZING!
Believe it with me, friends.
Is that too hard?
Do you think believing this will make you conceited or complacent?
Let’s send those thoughts packing right now.
Conceit only happens when we compare ourselves to others and think we’re way better. Recognizing and believing our own value is not conceited, quite the opposite actually.
And complacent? Interestingly enough, loving myself exactly the way I am right now doesn’t make me kick back and think “sweet, done and done.” It empowers me. Because I accept all of it, I am motivated to do more.
What the what!?
It is so totally true.
If you aren’t really onboard yet, that’s okay! But maybe you’ll consider trying it out. Write your own overview. Put together the things that make you, you, ALL THE THINGS, then let yourself love it all.
Because you are AMAZING.
