Today when you saw a beautiful and talented young woman, you gasped and said, “I want to be just like her. I want to BE her.”
Do you remember what I told you?
I told you that you don’t need to be someone else.
You need to be the best version of yourself that you can be.
That young woman was lovely and seemed so special.
But you are also lovely and special. And the world already has one of her. We don’t need another one. What we need, is YOU.
You are vibrant and willful, independent and energetic. And you are so, so, smart.
Yes, you are different from the other children. And I know you feel your differences strongly.
- It bothers you that your hair is different than the other girls.
- You get frustrated when your friends don’t understand you, especially when you know something they don’t.
- You long to fit in better with the neighborhood children, but you want them to do things your way.
But it’s ok to be you.
Your differences are what make you special. You have energy and leadership and creative problem-solving skills. Your look and voice and attitude and creative thinking are something new and special that the world has never before seen in that combination.
You are unique.
And that uniqueness is how you can make this world better.
You have a lot to learn still, about kindness and patience, about generosity and forgiveness. As you continue growing into the lovely young woman I know you will be, you will also learn how to love and serve others.
And when you love and serve it will be with that unique voice only you can use. Your place of service will make use of all your energy, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Your acts of love will come from a heart that knows what it is like to be different and knows how to overcome frustration to reach goals.
Don’t give up any of those things that make you special just so you can be like some other person that you admire.
It’s okay to admire other people, but admire them because they are unique, just like you are unique. Admire them because they are loving and serving others and they are doing so with all of their special combination of skills and personality.
That young woman you saw is admirable because she is using her uniqueness to bring beauty to the world.
But don’t try to BE her.
Be you. Be unique. Use your uniqueness to bring beauty to the world.