So I was in High School right? I was wearing super cute overalls because they were in ,which I feel like I should’ve kept to wear now but I digress. Back to my story. I went to the bathroom and when I was done, after flushing the toilet, I was clicking my overalls back on and wouldn’t ya know it, one side fell into the toilet. Yep, that’s right, totally wet. Now thankfully I had fleshed the toilet first which now I’m very grateful for but then, didn’t give a rip. All I cared about was that I had to walk out in front of the popular girls with a one wet sided overall. I tried everything. Paper towels, the dryer but didn’t have enough time because I had to get back to class, with the popular girls. Did I mention that the popular girls were in my class? Yea, rough. Now just to make this clear, I wasn’t like lower than low on the totem pole of popularity. I was like right in the middle which again, now I look back and I’m like, it was a perfect place to be but then, heck to the no. You just wanted them to talk to you or just look at you and smile. Needless to say, I walked out and was teased immediately. ‘Oh my gosh heather, did you pee on your overalls?’ said the super cool girl while laughing with her other super cool friends. I swore up and down that I didn’t but it was long gone. There was no turning back at this point. Man did I wish I had pink hair and tattoos then. I would’ve been the coolest ever or the scariest ha! I held onto this for a while. It was rough. I couldn’t let it go. I was mortified and at that age, man, it’s rough when something like that happens. I did survive but looking back I realize that the feeling of needing approval still lurks around today.
The reason I couldn’t let it go was only because I wanted their approval and instead of laughing it off with them, I just sank. I’m sure you’ve all been in this spot before. Maybe you are struggling with it right now. Needing the approval of others can really suck the joy out of you. You actually start living for the other person instead of for yourself. You start doing things out of your character in order for the other person to recognize you and allow you in. You’re better than that. You don’t need anyone’s approval and if that’s the case then you don’t want to be friends with them anyways. Those who love you are in your life because of who you are not because of what you do. You don’t need to perform to be worthy of anyone’s attention. You are worthy because of who you are not what you do, or say, or what others think of you. There’s a one and only Dad that is the only one you need approval from and the best part, He already does and did before you were even born. He thinks you’re the freaking bomb. He is the one that places the right people in your life at just the right time. Stop looking and forcing relationships that maybe He’s not calling you to have. Totally preaching to myself here. Many times we seek the approval of others because we put them on some kind of pedestal which is crap. We are all on the same pedestal no matter what you do, or how much money you make, or what you look like. God doesn’t look at anyone that way. He created each one of us different, yes, but not better than the next.
I want to encourage you with this. Standing strong in who you are is legit the best place you can be in. And you can do that because you have the looks, you have the awesome personality, you have the gift of listening, you’re an amazing friend, and I could go on and on. If there are some people that can’t see that, then it’s their loss. God’s got your back my friend. He’s not gonna just leave you stranded with no community just remember that the community you want to be in needs to love you for you.
“An amazing thing happens when you stop seeking approval and validation: You find it.”
Wounded to Warrior 