OK, so this blog is about cars - or so I thought it would be when I started. Now it has morphed into a way for me to share my thoughts, short comings, victories, and life with all of you. Thanks for the flexibility.
I was getting ready to go out for my run today when I saw a Toyota Prius commercial. At the end of the commercial the announcer says "Are you ready for a car that all others will want to be compared to?" It got me thinking - are you ready to be the kind of person that others want to be compared to? That is a pretty big statement. I started thinking, while running, what that even means. Is it a positive thing to be compared to or a negative thing? Does it mean I am modelling good behavior or that I am showcasing bad behavior.
It brings me back to a time when I was in high school. I have a very vague memory of being in the girls bathroom as a senior and having a Junior walk in while I was washing my hands. She stopped, looked a little scared, and then said "I know that you don't like me Kristen, but I wanted to say I like what you are wearing today." I was so shocked I didn't even respond. Was that what I was modelling in high school? Was I the mean girl? Possibly and unfortunately.
I guess that is what this whole experiment I am doing is all about anyways - looking back at things I did wrong and looking ahead for things I can do right. I want to be the person that people want to be compared to. Not because I am an egomaniac, but because it means that I have grown, that I have learned and that I am now loving those in my world.
Here is what I want to ask each of you to do today. Go buy a cheesy magazine (you know the ones - US, STAR, etc. - or go online) Read through it and ask yourself who in that magazine represents class and style and who represents the opposite. Now, ask yourself this question - "which style do I look more like?" You might find yourself just as shocked as I found myself in that high school bathroom. If you are - change. Make a difference and do something good. I did and I feel better for it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
OK, for starters I am NOT buying a cheesy magazine, although I might buy a car mag....lol
ReplyDeleteDo we really want to be people who are used as comparisons? I gave this some serious thought, Kris. My conclusion is that it isn't about us so much as it is about our behavior. Nobody, unless they are a mindreader, really knows us, but they do see our behavior. Is our behavior admirable or is it abhorrent? Probably some of both with a whole lot somewhere in between.
Another question is whether we do what we do based on what we want others to think of us or because we want to feel better about ourselves? If we try to behave in a way that is true to our values we gain a measure of satisfaction from our efforts and our results. Is the search for improvement internally or externally based? BTW, I use the terms think and feel purposefully in this context. If we do the best we can we may inadvertantly become role models, but should that be an objective? Maybe so, if you are a public figure or it's your job to advise people on their life choices (see, I get it).
Being a role model is a bit problematic though. You touched on the essence of that problem in one of your other postings. We do not always share the same values or opinions so it is impossible to be perceived as a positive role model by everyone. I think that may be the primary reason to be true to yourself and let the whole issue of what others think of you reside where it may.
By sharing that high school memory you validate your search for improvement. No, that's not correct. By HAVING that memory and thinking about it you validate it. Sharing it accomplishes something else.
Finally, almost all your blog posts illustrate your growth on at least two levels, but that's a topic for another time. Good work!
Jim, you are finally getting my blog - it is all about me and a way for me to brag about myself. took you long enough didn't it? LOL, just kidding. good thoughts as always. see you poolside in 2 days.
ReplyDeleteJim - you finally grasp the essence of what I am doing here - bragging about how cool I am. LOL.
ReplyDeletethanks again for the amazing insight (as always). See you poolside in 2 days. YEAH