Unique and Wonderful YOU!

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by:  Staci Stallings

Last time we talked about our likes and dislikes and I asked you to make two lists:  one about your likes, the other about your dislikes.

Today, I want you to make one more list.  I want you to list (on the original paper if you still have it) your top five life priorities right now.  What are the five things in life that you believe right now are the most important to you.

Now, this can get a bit tricky because the top five things you SAY are most important may not be getting the most of your time.  I want THE top 5 things that are the most important.

Got them?

Great.  Now I want you for a moment to look at the three lists together, as a whole.

This is a snapshot of you, a unique, one-of-a-kind human being.  In fact, I would be willing to wager that no two people who have written these things down have the same list!  Isn’t that amazing?

You are not exactly like anyone else.  No one else likes things in exactly the same order you do coupled with the exact things you dislike, coupled with your priorities.  Everyone is different!

Isn’t that exciting?

Isn’t that awesome?!

Now, some of you are with me.  You are cheering yourself on and up with this list… “WOW! I AM AMAZING!”

Others of you (yes, I hear you from here) are not thrilled with your list.  You look at that list, and you just KNOW that somehow it says bad things about you.

You like to shop?  ”How selfish.”

You like to play sports?  “I wish I was like Amy and could play the piano.  Then I would be proud of my list.”

You don’t like to pray?  ”I’m such a bad person!”

Yep.  I hear you all right.  But don’t panic.  Because what is on your list is not random.  It does not speak to your worth or unworthiness.  Believe me.  Those are set by the One Who gave you the things you like and dislike.  And it’s okay.  He already knows what’s on your list because He knows what’s in your heart!

So, I’m going to give you one more chance before we go on.

Look at your lists, really look at them–your likes, your dislikes, your priorities.  Are these REALLY your top 3-5 in each category?

Have you been totally honest?  Or did you put something down because you think you should WANT to like that?

For me, my two that I wish were on my like list are cooking and cleaning.  Truthfully, I’m a terrible cook, and I absolutely HATE to clean.  I don’t mean I dislike it or I wish I didn’t have to.  I mean I HATE IT!  I will do anything to avoid it.  I don’t even like to get other people to do it for me because I hate putting them through that torture (I’m not joking!).

So today, for now, take your lists and revise them to what is most real for you.  Maybe you loved to play piano when you were young, but you got away from it when you got married and had kids.  But when you think about it now, your heart still jumps with the enjoyment you got from it.  That should be on your like list.

Maybe you used to like to run or jog, but age and injury has sidelined you.  That’s okay.  Write down what is most real to you, what makes you feel like flying, what you would love to do if you could.  We’ll deal with the practical part of it later.

Got your lists?  Good.  On Thursday, we’ll take this unique and wonderful YOU God made and start refining what your Vision and your Voice can mean to the world!