lindsey.

as a product of my culture, especially of my own country’s education system, i have heard this line too many times to count.  as we grow up and begin to “discover who we are”, this is what we are told - you can be anything you set your mind to, you can do anything if you try hard enough.

this is a lie.  a big, fat, ridiculous lie.

we were all created to do something fantastic.  each human being born was designed with specific gifts and talents.  this lie that we can be whoever we want to be doesn’t create a lot of hard-working talented people, but a lot of over-worked, mediocre people.  we spend so much time trying to do things we were never meant to do, feeling disappointed that we can’t be better at something, all the while stifling and squashing the things we are actually good at.  we don’t celebrate who we are because we are too busy trying to be someone we aren’t.  i think this is why we have so many lost 20-somethings.  so many people who are almost 30 yet still don’t know what they want to do, because they realized that what they pursued for years isn’t what they are actually good at. 

i’ll give you an example.  i wish that i was an excellent photographer. i have tried really hard to be good at taking pictures.  for years. and i’d always feel so disappointed. i’ve come to the realization lately that i am not a good photographer.  there’s nothing wrong with me.  i’m not a failure because i can’t take good pictures.  its simply not something i was designed to do.  there are plenty of other things i’m good at: cooking, crocheting, singing.  those are the things that i want to celebrate, instead of bemoaning the fact that i can’t take good pictures.

don’t be whatever you want to be.  be who you are.