I have a sign hanging in my office.
I’ve had it for a really long time.
I remember I bought it as a reminder–but I couldn’t tell you the last time I read it all the way through.
Well, before today that is.
- Be You.
- A Genuine Original.
- Find your voice.
- Make a difference.
- Don’t forget where you came from, but never lose sight of where you are going.
- Believe in your gifts–Cherish them and explore their possibilities.
- Be brave and wild at heart.
- Make mistakes and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
- Embrace all the things that make you unique.
- Practice kindess and compassion.
- Be passionate about the things that matter to you.
- Be a hero to someone.
- Become someone you will be proud of when you look back on your life.
- Be a good friend.
- Live your life with no regrets.
- And remember that all the things about yourself that you sometimes wish were different are really the most special. Because you are the real thing.
That’s some pretty powerful stuff. Pretty straight forward, too. And it all seems easy enough. You know–to be a good person and focus on your strengths. But it’s not–am I right? It’s so much easier, it seems, to focus on all the ugly things about ourselves.
I was the girl in high school who only heard the nasty things people said about me. It didn’t matter that I had friends who were telling me quite the opposite–I only heard the nastiness. I focused on it. I let it stew for weeks and months and years. And now it’s all I remember.
And then a few weeks ago–I was catching up with a friend from HS. Their perspective of how my life was like in HS was so completely and utterly different than how I felt then or how I remember it now. She said “I was jealous of you, because your life/friends/relationships seemed so much more interesting than mine!”
I had no idea.
And when I think back on my HS years, I definitely don’t see anything that was worth jealousy.
I was tortured.
But I tried to be a good person.
I tried to be a good friend.
Despite all the things people said and did to me.
The point is. I bought that sign to remind myself to basically believe in myself. To know that I’m a good person. To be the kind of friend I know how to be. And to see the good. And to remember the good. I don’t want to remember pettiness and heartache and fear when I look back on this time in my life. I want to remember that I was exactly who I was supposed to be.
Become someone you will be proud of when you look back on your life.
Be yourself
& see the good.
Love this post so much! I need me a sign just like that. Kinda goes along with my post yesterday about not focusing on the negative and just being who God made you to be. And that's awesome! 🙂
i love this so much!! i'm looking to hang some inspirational canvases in my closet to jazz things up and something like this would be perfect 🙂
-kathy | Vodka and Soda
I had a similar type saying hanging in my old office, one of the things it said was "If you don't like your job quit". I read that every day for two years before I finally got the nerve to quit.
Words can be such powerful motivators and reminders of things we sometimes forget.
I love this! I have a few quotes that I look to for inspiration and encouragement sometime and I would love to have them displayed somewhere in the form of art work to look at more often!
This is great! If I only knew back then what I know now, I would have been a lot happier in HS. I am happy to be myself and don't worry so much about what others think of me!
I love inspiration quotes like this. My favorite takeaway from it was don't be afraid to ask questions. People think that it will make them look stupid or incompetent but you can't know all the answers! I would rather have a student ask a question then just try to wing it….that never works out well. Great post as always darling! xoxoxo
This post was beautiful, Joey! I have two inspirational pieces hanging on the walls in our apartment. How wonderful would it be to a have an entire room full of them? It'd be a wonderful room to walk into in the morning and practice gratitude and daily affirmations 🙂
I'm officially jealous you have your own office. And love what you decided to hang there. A perfect reminder!
Women in particular have problems seeing the good. Stay on this path!
Such a perfect print and wonderful reminder!!!!! Things are so much different from the outside looking in.
I have a hard time remembering who I was just 4 years ago. Pre-deployments/pre-Alaska. I don't want to think about comparing myself to high school-Kristin. My 10 year reunion is in August…
Be brave and wild at heart. Love that one! And I could look at inspirational quotes all day on Pinterest! I need to scoop one up for my next house. 🙂
I love this post. I'm always on the hunt for inspiration and this has it. Just lovely 🙂
I really love this quote – any idea where you purchased the artwork?