Recently
I started running Girls Groups at some of my schools. This past week
I presented Share Your Sparkle Day on May 13th
as an opportunity for these girls to step outside of the group and
make their mark. This led to a lot of discussion about our talents
and strengths. Unfortunately, many of the girls couldn’t think of
even one strength that they had. It was heartbreaking to see such
young girls unable to find a talent and/or strength in themselves.
At
the same time I’ve been organizing and running these Girls Groups,
I’ve also been helping to organize a fundraiser for the girls at my
church. These girls were trying to raise enough money to pay for
their summer camp. The fundraiser was a spaghetti dinner and a
silent auction. We asked people to donate something, either an item
or a service, to the silent auction. As one of the leaders, I was
expected to donate something as well, but I had a really
hard time coming up with an idea of something I could donate.
As
I read over the list of donations, I was impressed with all the
varied talents, skills, and strengths that people were using to help
with this fundraiser, but I also compared my own talents to those on
the list and found that I didn’t measure up. When I saw someone
who had donated their sewing talent, I thought, “Not me, I can’t
do that even a little bit.” When I saw someone who donated their
tutoring talent I thought, “No one wants me tutoring their kid.”
And on and on I went through the list. I thought long and hard about
what I could contribute and couldn’t come up with anything I
thought was good enough. Why would anyone bid on something I have to
offer?
One
day after work, I was thinking about my Girls Groups and wracking my
brain for a way to help them realize their talents and strengths,
when it hit me that I was just like them! While trying to come up
with an idea for the auction, I couldn’t come up with even one
talent or strength I had that I could donate. All I could do was
focus on what I couldn’t
do instead of what I could
do. How often do we all do this? Why do we spend more time focusing
on the things we can’t
do rather than the things we can
do? Somehow we start to learn at a young age that because our best
is not as good as someone else’s best, it’s not good enough.
Then I remembered something else I told the girls in my groups. I
told them that it didn’t matter if they were the
best
at the thing they were good at, it only mattered that they were good
at it.
I
changed my attitude immediately and started thinking about all of the
things I could do. I ended up donating a box of cupcakes I
decorated. These were not the fanciest and best decorated cupcakes
ever, but they looked pretty good, and you know what? They got bid
on by at least two people! I
may not be the best at anything, but I am good at a whole lot of
things and that is
good enough. At least it should be.
So
I want to challenge all of you Sparklers today. When you’re
thinking about what you can do on Share Your Sparkle Day, start out
by thinking of all the things you can
do and remember, your best is always good enough! Alicia
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