I don't know about you but I grew up being told I could do whatever I wanted to when I grew up. I went through the classic astronaut phase, dreamed of being a pirate for awhile, and even wanted to be a professional basketball player. But you know what? I don't like math enough to be an astronaut, I'm not violent enough to be a pirate, and I'm too fat, short, and lazy to be a professional basketball player.
We should all (hopefully) reach a point where we begin to realize that we can't do everything. It is a good and healthy thing to realize your limitations. Not enjoyable but good and healthy. Just as we begin to realize what we cannot do we should also learn what it is we do well. While I am too fat, short, and lazy I do love reading, (most) homework, and working with people of all backgrounds. I'm an above average communicator and I'm really passionate about helping organizations succeed.
Too bad this isn't an easy process.
This quarter I took a class entitled Mathematical Statistics. At my school we are required to take two stats/econometrics classes and there are two tracks: a more conceptual track for the general public and the mathematical track for people who enjoy pain (or math). For some reason I decided after the first of the two classes to move from the conceptual general public track to the one of pain. I thought to myself I'm a smart guy, I want to be the smartest guy when I walk into a room, and smart guys take mathematical statistics.
The last 10 weeks have been full of realizing things I cannot do. The course is quite literally greek to me and today as I take the final exam for the course, I will be happy to limp away merely passing the course.
I realized something I cannot do. I will never, no matter how hard I try, be a brilliant econometrist. It just won't happen.
We really don't like being told that now do we? We hate being told we can't accomplish something but there are things in this world that we cannot do. I cannot be anyone but me and my life will get a lot more enjoyable and easier when I stop wanting to be anyone else and start wanting to be me.
I think we often forget how special we are. Each and everyone of us is made in the image of God and is uniquely perfect. That's right perfect. I'm not saying perfect in the do no wrong sense but perfect in the just right sense. God isn't disappointed in you and you shouldn't be disappointed in yourself either.
So today, try and stop wanting to be someone else and try to find joy in who you are at this very moment.
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Andrew Means is a graduate student at The University of Chicago studying Public Policy and a member of the Lincoln Park community. His passion is to help non-profits succeed at making a difference in the world by evaluating their results and helping them achieve best practices. If you like Andrew's posts, be sure to check out his personal blog at www.andrewmeans.typepad.com and follow @meansandrew on Twitter.