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Give yourself permission to be you. Be the best version of yourself you can be.  Accept yourself for who God created you to be. There will always be someone that makes more money, has a little nicer car, decorates their house in a way you wish you could, and has a keen eye for fashion. There is that one person you know with a hairstyle your hair wasn’t made for, knows just the right way to apply makeup and is a little more motivated to workout than you can muster up. What about that friend that has long legs you wish you had or has the admirable ability to walk into a room and engage the crowd? Maybe you know someone with so much confidence you could only dream of.  Perhaps you wish you had the ability to sing in the church band but weren’t born with a singing voice.  Whatever it is you don’t have; appreciate it in others. I guarantee you someone admires a gift you have and wishes they were born with that same gift.  Instead of being jealous in a way that makes you feel bad about yourself, be appreciative of the gifts and talents of others. We were all made different. We were all given gifts we should use.

Appreciate those lines in your face; they were etched there from years of laughter.  If you have a little more curve in your body than others, it’s okay.  If you have less curves in your body than others, that’s okay too.  Appreciate that person with the great singing voice; let it soothe and entertain you.  Admire a well-sculpted body; that person worked hard to chisel out those muscles. Enjoy the food that your friend cooks for you; they were given a gift of hospitality. If your friend has more courage than you to start a conversation with the group; take note and learn from them.  Let yourself be happy for those that succeed. Let yourself be joyful for those around you. We all go through hard times, we all have that one thing we wish we could overcome, we all have our own hang-ups. Let’s learn from one another, be joyful for each other, and appreciate what we have been blessed with.