Last week was about struggling with feeling like you aren’t enough and realizing you are. We will build on that this week by reflecting on hammers and feeling valued.
Months ago, I used a hammer to hang some pictures in my house. More recently, when I had to pictures in my house I decided to use command strips, because they better fit my needs at the time. I wonder… did the hammer ever feel abandoned in the toolbox? Did it look out and wonder if it was useful, if I was able to use something else to hang pictures? Did it ever wonder if it was a bad hammer, since I wasn’t using it more often? Did it wonder if its skillset was even valuable anymore?
Where is this going? Throughout this year there are times when I’ve attempted something and failed. There have been times I’ve faced rejection. It was hard for me to not take the failure and the rejection personally. Similar to the hammer in my analogy, I often wondered, “I’m a good hammer, right? I’m a valuable hammer, right? I think I’m a hammer who can be useful. Is that true?” Have you ever felt like this when you’ve failed or faced rejection?
I had to learn over time that I can be a good hammer AND still fall short. I can be a good hammer AND still encounter rejection. I can be a good hammer AND not always be the person someone needs. Just because I failed or was rejected in that instance doesn’t mean I am a lesser hammer. It just means the circumstances weren’t in my favor in that particular situation. Over time, I had to realize that my value isn’t necessarily determined by others. I know who I am and what I am. I better understand the value I bring. Sometimes what I offer is needed and sometimes it’s not. When I’m not needed, it’s just because the right situation hasn’t arrived yet.
Challenge 1: Are you letting other people decide your value or are you defining your value?
Challenge 2: Look at yourself in the mirror and say 3 things you value about yourself.
Have a jolly good day,
Andrew Embry
Striking Matches 