You’re Not an Item on a Checklist
Guest post by Jennifer Lister, a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in Interpersonal Communication. She lives in sunny Florida where she’s a volunteer coordinator at Give Kids The World Village and watches miracles happen daily. She loves to try new things and isn’t afraid to be undefined.
I used to be envious of people who’d perfected something. Those who could say, “I’m a ballerina” or “I play softball.” At one point I remember being upset my parents hadn’t pushed me in the direction of something, anything, so that by now I’d be a pro (and have a hobby I’m good at.) I didn’t take piano lessons for ten years (I can only play half of Heart and Soul) nor was I raised sailing boats or racing in regattas (I get sea sick.) I honestly never honed in or focused my energies on any one set skill. But I can hang drywall if I needed to, ride a mean horse, and sing the National Anthem in front of large crowds. I love ballets and baseball, and I’m comfortable in almost any setting.
I find the generic question of “What do you do?” hard to answer. We can not be confined to a box on a checklist nor a personality type by answering a few questions. Our world is defined by and finds comfort in labels. We assign labels to everyone and everything almost immediately and if we can’t, we usually dislike it.
You’ve heard it said we’re only afraid of the unknown. Yet in our attempt to eliminate the unknown we mute the exciting. Be bold enough to be unknown. Daring enough to be undefined. I love exploring the many facets of my personality and character. I love surprising people with talents and being pleasantly surprised by others. I think it’s wonderful we’re each so different and unique. I enjoy interesting people with quirks and slight idiosyncrasies. I think it’s important to know who you are and to celebrate it. I realize it’s a life long goal to even hope to grasp the complexity of yourself and others but to be authentic is my goal. Some days order up a hot bath, a chick flick, and a glass of wine while others prove that only a run and watching competitive sports in jeans and a baseball cap will do. Don’t live your life confined within a box that you’ve let others (or possibly even yourself) label. What brings you to life? What makes your heart beat faster? Find out, and follow it.
By New Years Eve, I will have a list of twelve items (one for each month of 2010) that I am going to focus on learning about and studying. Beginning January, I’ll pick a topic and a couple bullet points pertaining to the area of interest and dive right in to expand my knowledge and quite possibly (and most likely) learn something about myself. I’ve made it a goal to retain at least four facts (that’s only one a week) per topic. I haven’t picked the topics yet but when I do they will be random and wide spread. Each will be something I know little to nothing about currently but would like to. I’ll pick things I can see myself possibly enjoying and probably a few I’d usually steer clear of (just to mix it up a bit.) And by this time next year, I’ll be that much more diverse (or confused, we’ll see.)
Be thankful for who you are, where you are. Stop, pause, take a moment and reconsider where you’re at and where you want to be. Focus on the joys your life includes and the blessings you should be thankful for. During this holiday season, more than anything, avert your eyes, your heart, and your mind from the minute and unworthy and direct your attention to an honorable cause, the real reason for the season- joy, peace, love, and hope.
Find it within yourself and embrace it in others. Thankfulfor can help you do just that. Celebrate with those around the globe in unique cultures, traditions, and personalities. I believe we should celebrate our differences while remembering we have common denominators and we’ll be at peace to embrace who we’ve been created to be.
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