I AM WHO I AM

   I Am Who I Am.    I recently heard someone say this.  At the time I thought it was interesting.  I often times hate this phrase.  The reason I usually don't like it is because I think most of the time it is used as an excuse not to change.  "I am who I am,  you married me so get use to it."  or "I am who I am, I can't help it."   I think that for those we love we should be willing to change and make ourselves better.  This phrase doesn't have to be an excuse though and honestly there is great truth in this phrase, or at least there should be. Have you ever read something and immediately someone pops in your head?  "Oh my goodness, that is so Bob."  Often times we are so unique that one little thing can remind us of one particular person.  For me every time I hear the most corny joke I think of my sweet sister.  She loves corny jokes and half of the time I laugh because I am thinking how funny my sister would find it.  We all have these  little corks and differences that makes us exactly who we are.

    So why then often times do we view these corks and differences as a negative.  I see moms that beat themselves up because they aren't able to look like another mom, or because they don't understand how to craft all the decor for a kids birthday party, maybe they don't eat as healthy as everyone else, they can't keep their house clean, they don't read 10 books a day to their child, or maybe they don't seem to have patience like Suzie down the road  and so on and so forth. There are a million different things in life that we can measure ourselves by so why so often our we measuring ourselves by things that make us feel less than we are?  If we don't have a skill yes we can work on it if it is something we want to gain, but we don't need to be any less of a person just because in one way or another we aren't like someone else.  Or sometimes we see someone who is great at something and we have to think badly of them because we don't fit in the same box as them.  We think one person has to be better; us or them, so we just say that we are to make ourselves feel better.  Example: there is a super fit mom and the words out of another moms mouth is "yes she looks great but she sacrifices that time with her kids and that is not something I am willing to do."  Why?  Why, do we do this to ourselves and others?   Or here is a good example:  A mom really loves Christmas, the day after thanksgiving the pumpkins are gone and the whole house looks like the north pole.  Christmas carols are playing everyday,  they open a present every night the week of christmas,  I mean this lady really does the whole shebang.  Another mom has to say "Wow, can you believe how much money she waste every year?  And it's not even what Christmas is about.  Those kids are so spoiled."              We make these judgmental remarks as if because of the way a mom is different than us is makes us better than them,  they aren't doing why they are suppose to do,  they aren't a good mom.  When I very strongly believe that it is the exact opposite.  We should all be who we are and be okay with letting our individual strengths shine though and be loving and accepting to others strengths.  I have many friends who are very different than me, some are great at sewing, cooking, being adventuerous, scheduling, singing, and tons of other stuff that if someone looked at the talent I have in those areas would probably just laugh.  I see these qualities in them and admire them.  I think how amazing my friends are.  We don't need to be the same as someone else.
   
     A great example of opposites is me and my husband although we have things in common we are VERY different.  We both have strong personalities but very opposite in many ways.  My husband is a realist, a clean freak, loves good food, a morning person, lots of little random things in life are completely different from me.  I am a dreamer, I clean before he comes home, my idea of cooking is a frozen pizza, hot dogs, and mac and cheese, in the morning I would do anything for 15 more minutes of sleep.  Yes these are just simple little things but there are also very big way we are different and yet we love everything about the other person.  We are able to see something through a different light, get an opposite point of view, and most of the time it makes us better people.  This is how we should look at other people to.  Yes, maybe you aren't willing to be away from your kids for an hour to go to the gym but another person may need that hour to keep herself sane and that is totally okay.  Maybe when it comes to the holidays the last thing you want to do is go up in the attic and haul down all of the boxes, there is no need to if thats not you.  We don't have to be like someone else, but remember they don't need to be like us either.

I Am Who I Am and I love who I am.  Be you!  You always here people say "if we were all the same life would be boring"  maybe or maybe we would all be adventurous so it would be fun all the time.  The point is though we were sent to this earth to learn and grow, if we were all the same we couldn't grow.  We wouldn't have those different views of life to help us become better people.  Give the people around you the strength to be themselves, accept their strengths and weakness.  Just because our strengths and weaknesses are different doesn't mean we as people are all that different.

If these was one message that I could leave with people before I die it would be that you are all amazing a beautiful people.  I know that God loves you and wants you to be happy with who you are.  God sees us as individuals and loves each of our individual strengths and expects us to help one another though this life, not to hold someone or ourselves back.  You are so powerful and can accomplish anything in life.  Don't let your mind stop you from seeing your full potential. 


Here is my favorite quote of all times:
" Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."   -Marianne Williamson



Go and write down who you are and love yourself just the way you are!

I Am Who I Am
I'm a daughter of my King, Heavenly Father
I love shopping especially for other people
I am an amazing mother and love my son beyond belief
I am patient
I am a little crazy and cry like a baby during movies
I love every single holiday

I am obsessed with my husband, and would rather be with him than anyone else
I love wearing high heels
I love sports
I have high standards for myself
I love socializing with other
I eat way to much chocolate
I could watch chick flicks everyday for the rest of my life
I pride myself on being honest
I put family before everything else
I love planning any type of party
I love fluffy animals (not cats, they scare me)
I find happiness in helping others
I smile and laugh constantly
I enjoy exercising

These are just a few things that make me who I am and I am so grateful for the life I have lived to help shape me into the person I am and will continue to grow to become.  Life is beautiful and the people in it are even more beautiful.  Don't let the hardships of life stop you from seeing that.