I heard a joke the other day that really got me! It goes something like this:
"Have you noticed that everyone is buying pickup trucks these days? White collar professionals are buying them because they are the new status symbol. Last weekend I asked a buddy of mine with a truck to help me move some landscaping materials, and he said No, because it would scratch the bed of his truck. I said "So why did you buy a truck"?
Then it hit me... People do what they do so that other people will think of them a certain way. Men don't drive trucks because they need a truck, but so that others see them as being manly!
So… I thought I would do the same thing! Now I carry an empty suitcase with me wherever I go. People ask me "Where are you off to?" and I say "Nowhere, but I'm the kind of guy who loves to travel!"
This joke is packed with truth!
Here is the question we all must wrestle with:
"What do we hope that other people believe about us"?
- Do you keep your home looking like a page from Southern Living Magazine so others see you as maternal and nurturing?
- Do you drive a vehicle that you really can't afford in order to make others view you as successful?
- Do you pressure your children to perform in academics or sports in order to appear to be a great parent?
- Are you a part of a club or group in order to be seen as a certain type of person?
As it relates to our personal choices, the big question "Why?" Is my motivation to win the good opinion of others? Am I holding up a mask to the world, in an attempt to gain approval?
The healthiest approach is to live a life free of both the good and bad opinions of others. Live your own life; don't live it for others. There is a God in heaven that loves you and accepts you just the way that you are. The old saying goes like this: "Live your life to an audience of One". (God)
If your arms are getting tired from holding up masks, please call us and let's find out who you really are!