Be a RED HOT Version of You, Not a Lukewarm Version of Someone Else.
This morning I was riding high in my favorite morning spin class. This spin teacher who I love beyond words made a shout out to my fellow rider, “Evie - you’re so beautiful on the bike”.
As a recovering jealousy junkie my immediate reaction was - I want to be beautiful on the bike too. I want a shout out. I want what she has. How can I be more like her? I started peeking over at her to see what her secret was.
Have you done this? Peeked over at someone else’s success and tried to replicate it for yourself? Maybe you’ve watched someone write a bestseller, or you’ve obsessed over how a friend’s marriage is so strong, or you've wondered how the heck your colleague seems to be managing work’s internal politics or how your sister in law’s body has never looked better after baby number two.
This strategy, peeking over or copying someone else’s approach, isn’t the worst strategy because there are always things to learn from other people’s approaches. But copying anyone else's approach will result in a lukewarm version of their life. What you want is to find your RED HOT version of your life. I got you on this - check it out.
DEEP BREATH. If you, like me, feel jealous often, you need to take a deep breath.
ADMIRE HER. Whoever you are feeling jealous of, take a moment and intentionally admire her. See the part of her that you are wanting for yourself and love it. Dive into it. We so often hold ourselves apart from the feelings we don’t want to have, like jealousy. Letting it in will diminish its power.
ADMIRE YOURSELF. What sets you apart? It might be hard for you to see this about yourself.. So imagine meeting yourself for the first time. See yourself from across the room. What makes you quirky, a little out of the ordinary, special?
What’s your genius small and big? Do you have a wild laugh that erupts from within? Can you find gorgeous outfits in any thrift store? Maybe you bring kindness to strangers wherever you go. Or can you make a conservative activist and a liberal politician see eye to eye? Do people always want to tell you their problems?
MAKE YOUR LIST!!! Or ask a friend to help you.
I want you to know on the tip of your tongue what sets you apart!
BE MORE OF YOU. Whatever you just identified above, these are the things that the world is hungry for. This is your secret weapon, the thing that will make you a RED HOT version of yourself. Don’t hide these things, be more of them.
The world craves authenticity, not knock offs.