Auntie B's Wax

Sometimes we wander around through life feeling a little less than we expect from ourselves.  We compare ourselves to others and in our own minds don’t really measure up.  Who doesn’t want to be the best at something?  To own the most premium thing?  To be the most popular?  The thing is, we may actually be able to achieve greatness, and even be the greatest, but it probably won’t last forever.  Then what?  Back to feeling small and insignificant.

Here’s a little trick to cure those substandard feelings.  Try to look at yourself and your life through a stranger’s eyes.  Maybe not even a stranger, just someone other than yourself.

During some entertaining this past Christmas season I heard more than once how nice my home is.  How cozy this room is.  Having persistent insecurities about my ability to make a house into a home I dismissed these compliments as polite comments by my guests.

Just the other day someone said to me, “you’re so lucky to have a fireplace.  If I had a fireplace I’d light it nearly every night and watch a movie or work on a project or read a book.  You have such a relaxing house.”

This past weekend I decided to give my inner critic a break.  I took some of these compliments to heart and decided to take advantage of things I have at my disposal but my ignore.  I lit a fire in the fireplace and looked at the room as though I’d never seen it before.   Then I paged through a magazine, watched some TV, and basically just enjoyed the moment.

My house isn’t the most beautifully decorated, nor is it as clean and tidy as it should be.  My business isn’t as successful as some others are.  My blog doesn’t have national acclaim.  Despite my falling short of perfect I took time to appreciate all I am blessed with and indulge in my surroundings.  I looked at my life the way a stranger might ~ the way I might look into an envied stranger’s life, and saw I have indeed accomplished much and will continue to thrive.  The only person I have to compete with is myself, and if I don’t feel like competing I’ll be lounging around, basking in the success and hard work I accomplished when I did feel like competing.

See yourself and your life through a stranger’s eyes and you might see the person you’ve been trying to be all along.