You Owe You

“You matter. What you do and who you are matters. Don’t ever go to that job thinking you’re insignificant or not important. Don’t think you’re not valued or that your work is not valuable.” -Eric Thomas
“You are perfect. To think anything less is as pointless as a river thinking that it’s got too many curves or that it moves too slowly or that its rapids are too rapid. Says who? You’re on a journey with no defined beginning, middle or end. There are no wrong twists and turns. There is just being. And your job is to be as you as you can be. This is why you’re here. To shy away from who you truly are would leave the world you-less. You are the only you there is and ever will be. I repeat, you are the only you there is and ever will be. Do not deny the world its one and only chance to bask in your brilliance.” -Jen Sincero, “You are A Badass”
“You are loved. You are valuable. You are crafted with beauty and purpose. I treasure you and this world needs you. There is no one like you. You don’t need to look like the rest or talk like the rest or be like the rest. This world needs you as you are. There is no truth in the lie that you don’t matter. You are loved. You were put here for a reason. You were not an accident. You are not a mistake” -Curt Mega
“What’s most important is to always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman” -Unknown
This is one of the toughest lessons I have had to learn in my life. Growing up as a 4th child, my say didn’t matter most of the time. I didn’t get many opportunities to voice my thoughts, ideas, or concerns. All I could do was listen to my parents and siblings and go with the flow. As I went through high school, I still didn’t realize that I am unique and have value. I tried to fit in with the popular crowd. I even tried to change myself into something I wasn’t. I even tolerated getting bullied just to be seen with the in crowd. Still, I was not happy. I thought I would become more like those people and be their friends. What I did not realize was I was letting them erode my value, and my own self worth.
We learn early in life that we are special and unique. Our parents and family showers us with love, compliments, and encouragement. People pay attention to us. We make friends easily. We dream, create, and imagine. Unfortunately, the world teaches us otherwise. It teaches that if you don’t look like a celebrity, you are ugly. It shows us that if you don’t fit into a size two, you’re fat. It shows that if you do not have money, you don’t deserve great things. The media, strangers, and society have a skewed perception of who you should be. Negative messages bog us down and kill our own self-perceptions.
I used to feel like a victim and a loser. I used to believe no one wanted to hang out with me. I used to stay quiet because I felt people wouldn’t listen. These beliefs definitely hurt me mentally and spiritually. I was not the joyful boy I used to be. Until NOW. I have decided that I will respect myself enough to disallow the outside world to mold me. I decided that if someone does not like me or make me a priority, I will not waste time and effort on them. I decided to block myself from negative people and influences. And, you can too!
Remember, you matter! You are reading this because you want to make a change in your life. You want things to get better and get results. You have to realize you are special AND you have value. With that being said, you do have a voice and opinion. You have the power to make decisions and communicate them to others. Always remember, speak up if you notice something wrong. Spend time with people who WANT to spend time with you. WALK away from anyone who does not recognize how special you are. STAND up if you get tempted to do something that you know will hurt your results. I promise, your confidence will skyrocket! As Always, Eat, Move, and Improve!