There are many voices we hear everyday; voices from social media, television and, of course, from other people. These voices try and tell us who we should be and what is acceptable: look like this, act like this, believe this and buy this! These voices press themselves into the corners of our minds and we actually start to believe them. The lines between our true selves and those voices are now blurred and confusion sets in. Our hearts and minds become uneasy, anxious, and shift to appear like the rest of the world. All for the sake of acceptance we struggle to keep up, instead of being the unique individual that we were created to be. We, in effect, believe lies.

This was me yesterday! It all started with a conversation about my failings in a certain friendship and I started to doubt myself. That doubt crept into every area of my life. No place was safe from this cloud. I was questioning my value, my work, my identity, my roles. My thoughts took me on a downward spiral as I started to believe things that were not true about myself. I started comparing myself to others, listening to those voices that speak for the world. Telling me what success should look like, what my relationships should look like; my body, my diet, my wardrobe. I know you are getting me! I know there are those of you out there who have felt this way too!

If you can see yourself here, you are not alone! Our culture is saturated with this problem. Speak truth to yourself, we all need to be reminded almost daily of our worth and value. You are worthy right where you stand! You are uniquely made and there should be rejoicing in that. In these moments I try and think of who I am today, and remind myself to be thankful for that right now, not in who I will be tomorrow. Leaving behind who I want to be or who I feel like I should be in order to gain acceptance. I am already uniquely accepted by my Creator. We need to tell ourselves this truth and also find friends who will remind us of our worth and value when we cannot remind ourselves.

Tomorrow will come and it will be a new day. I love a new morning when I can wash my mind with who God has made me to be and begin to lay down all these false thoughts and ideas once again, embracing all that is today!

Love to all of you as we travel this road together!

(Photo by A Girl Named Leney)