Hey friend, when it comes to short form writing, I think I have found my magic. I have taken some time to look through some of my past Instagram posts to find the most encouraging ones just for you. That's right, all of encouragement in one place. I think this is going to be a post you are going to want to save and refer back to when you can use a soul pick-me-up. Enjoy.
Just Feeling Average?
Feel like you're not unique? I used to feel that way a lot. I used to tell everyone that I was just kind of average at everything. Nothing felt like it made me noteworthy. I was plain or so I thought.
I bet many others feel that way. Others have told me they feel that way.
You might be funny, like to craft, pretty, like to run, travel, and want to be a photographer.
You might think all that makes you who you are is not extravagant. Nothing that makes you different. Plenty of other people like those things, are those things, and do those things.
But maybe that next girl who wants to be a photographer like you also is an extreme homebody, she crafts but only with things she can find outside, she reads only nonfiction, and her cat is her favorite thing in the world.
Maybe that girl you know who likes to run just like you, she wears her hair in a braid almost every day, she also will only run when it is sunny out, you will never find a dirty dish in her sink, and she is deeply shy.
Maybe that girl who is funny and likes to travel like you, she loves dad humor or corny jokes. When she travels, she only goes to beaches. She takes all kinds of classes online and gets lost in Youtube. Her favorite color is orange, but specifically burnt orange. Plus, she looks for every opportunity to rescue stray animals.
See, if you really look at all that makes you, you then there is NO ONE who is you. You are deeply unique.
What makes me different?
I love banana and lemon flavored desserts. I like to call people that I look up to, "My spirit animal." To which, I am told they are not an animals and that makes it even more amusing. I love me some familiarity but I semi-often need to try new things to make sure the thing I have found is still the best. I read 3+ books at a time and nearly never finish and I love being a friend.
So you friend, what makes you unique? Comment below. Plus, if you think this can encourage a friend, tag that sister. It may be the thing that makes her day & let's her know she isn't just plain.
When You Feel Like Someone Doesn't Like You
You know those times when you start to realize someone doesn’t like you?
It’s like you start to see it everywhere. You begin to realize how she takes forever to text you back and start to wonder if she was ever committed to being your friend in the first place. You realize how she is kinda actually more quiet around you than everyone else. You figure she probably finds you annoying and is being quiet so the conversation will end. You start to see her on your social media hanging out with your other friends and think she is intentionally leaving you out because you might ruin the vibe. It like becomes crazy to you how you ever thought you were friends because now you see it everywhere how you’re not. It seems like you were oblivious. It does seem so crazy, until it you realize it’s not. Here is what I mean, maybe she doesn’t text you back because she is a bad texter and your one missed message is buried among 200 other missed messages. She quiet around you because is tired or she has been struggling with social anxiety lately, or whatever. She doesn’t ask you to hang out because she isn’t the one doing the inviting or honestly, she really just struggles with intentionality. It’s just not her thing. Here is the point. What you believe determines what you see. It can be the same situation but a person with the eyes of insecurity are going to come up with really different conclusions than those with the eyes of security. Your brain is always looking for evidence to back up your beliefs. Don’t ask it to come up with an apologetic for a bad belief because it will. See better friends by believing better.
True Belonging and Being Yourself
The opposite of belonging is fitting in.” @brenebrown - The Call to Courage
When I first moved to Texas I tried to be totally non-offensive. My inner dialogue was, “Don’t say anything too strong. Agree with people when they tell you what they like. Don’t ask anything too personal. Don’t say anything too deep.” But here is the thing, I did that and felt lonely. No one knew me and I knew that. See, I have strong opinions, I don’t always like what people like, I love to get personal, and I live in the deep.
So one day, I was said, “To heck with it.” I broke all of my original rules and what I found? You guessed it. Belonging.
Sure, there was people who didn’t like me. Who still don’t like me.
But what I found were the people who were looking for opinionated, honest, personal, deep people like me.
It was nice that people loved me for me. It’s way less exhausting that way. Can I get an amen?
So girl, be yourself. You’ll find your people and your belonging too.
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