monday morning encouragement: embrace different & unique

Lately I have had just no confidence in myself & in my work. Well, actually I start out feeling really great about it, feeling really proud of it, but then I let one comment or flaw completely change that. Are any of you feeling the same way lately? It’s such a real struggle & just sometimes so hard to admit. I think everybody deals with this from time to time. Whether it’s for a day, a week, a moment, or just a passing thought, we all have felt this way because of a shadow of doubt that either someone points out, or we ourselves notice.

The other day my dad was praying for me, like he does every morning, & what he said was so fitting. He said, “You were created like a succulent, different, but with purpose & intention…“. What if we thought that about ourselves? What if we remembered that we were created to be different, to be unique, & to live out our own purpose? Don’t you think we’d be swimming in confidence then? If we lived our life knowing that not everyone is like us, or is going to like us, & we just set out to do the work we were created to do, wouldn’t we have the freedom to stop comparing ourselves to one another?

In my line of work, you can find critique everywhere. There are countless photographers, bloggers, & writers on every corner of the internet. It’s easy to compare, think you’re not good enough, & doubt your work. It’s easy to lose all motivation & confidence because would the world really miss you if you didn’t produce your work? It might not. But that’s not the point. We were all created to share our own story & we all have a different style in doing so. There is room for all of us, there is room to praise, & lift one another up. There is room to work & grow, & be proud of what you are doing, & be proud of what they are doing too.

Today, remember that you were created differently, like a succulent, with purpose & intention. Whatever you do today, know that it has meaning, & that you are the only one who can accomplish today’s tasks at hand. Be confident, & kill it today. Embrace the different & be your own unique.

– abbey kay

*brought to you by a girl who is different too & wants you to know that your life has purpose & inention