Have you ever been flipping through a magazine and come to the picture perfect person staring back at you and thought to yourself, “I wish I looked like her/him”.  Or have you watched a famous people on the television being interviewed about their fame and fortune and thought to yourself “I wish I had their life.”  It could even be a friend or neighbor who you look up to in your life and often think to yourself, “I wish I could be her/him, they are so amazing.”  I think most all of us have had those “I wish I was ____” moments at one point or another in our lives.

I, for one, have had plenty of those moments.  For example, in my years as a single mom to two kids there were lots of times when I would see happily married families where the mom was able to stay home and be a full-time mom with her kids, rather than having to go to work every day and be away from her kids, that I would think “I wish I had her life, happily married, and home with her kids.”  And I can recall plenty of times when I would be reading a magazine and see someone drop dead gorgeous and think “I wish I could look just like her!” (the sad part is I was typically sitting on a coach eating chips in my sweats at those moments…low points…what can I say….) 🙂

Yes, I had those moments until one day when I came across this quote:

For some reason this quote really struck me. In all the times I had wished to be someone else (and trust me when I say I had many of them), I had never once stop to think that perhaps someone else may have actually thought that way about me.  And I would guess that those of you reading this blog have likely not stopped to think that someone else out there may be thinking that exact way about you.  They may be looking up to you, admiring you, and thinking “I wish I was _(your name here)_”.  It seems like a crazy thought when you consider your name in those parentheses, yet the reality is that this very well might be the case.  You just never know who is looking at you and your life and thinking that they would give anything to be in your situation, with your [brains, looks, talent, smile, success, family, home, spouse, kids, car, spirit, health, humor, heart, abilities, depth, ..….]. The fact is that every single one of us has something that others admire about us and it’s really important to remember that because remembering that is what will help us to stay happy and grateful for the things we have, rather than focusing on the things we don’t have.

I personally think that looking up to other people is a good thing because it can serve as a fantastic motivator that drives us to better ourselves – but it’s important that we don’t let admiration cross over to actually wishing we were someone else.  We should be happy that we are who we are, because every one of us is totally unique and God made us who we are for a reason – every talent and gift He gave us was to help us fulfill our individual purpose in this life.  If we were anyone else then we couldn’t fulfill that purpose because we wouldn’t have those same gifts and talents that are uniquely ours.  Knowing that should make us grateful and happy that we are who we are, cause if He saw value in us and our purpose, then we sure as heck should to – and, last I checked, He is never wrong :)….so trust that!

BE HAPPY TO BE YOU today – be grateful for all the “amazingness” that is YOU! Others are watching and admiring you, so never forget to BE YOUR BEST YOU!

~Amy     P.S. Have an AMAZING EASTER WEEKEND EVERYONE!