And the Winner Is

Hey everyone,

Happy December…this is the last month in 2022! We are getting ready to say hello and welcome a New Year. This will be my last blog for a couple of months. I have decided to unplug and relax a little. I will be back in March with a new blog.????

Today I want to share a lesson entitled: And the Winner Is…

In America, we have what is known as beauty pageants. These competitions are for children, teenage girls and women of all ages. They are held locally, nationally, and even internationally.  A lot of time money and practice goes into preparing to compete.

While I think it’s great to see the showcase of various talents, I believe it puts a lot of pressure on the contestants to “perform” for the prize.

Think about it, for a pageant:

There’s a great deal of practicing, auditioning, and performing only to be “judged” on how well you did. And even though you gave it your all, that still doesn’t guarantee you a spot to compete for the coveted title.

Many may not agree but I feel that these types of competitions are a breeding ground for comparison, a negative self-view, perfectionism, and unfortunately, jealousy and envy.

There can only be ONE winner, and even though everyone has worked hard, and earned their spot in the competition, only one person walks away with the crown.

All that you have worked so hard to achieve is judged in that one moment in time solely by how you look, and how well you did.

Sadly, that same mindset is in our society and especially among us as women. We live our lives as if we are on stage, competing for a prize and giving it our all to outshine everybody else.

I feel that both comparison and competition are rooted in insecurity. At some point in our lives, we felt inadequate, that we didn’t quite measure up to those around us that we were deprived of something that was rightfully ours.

We’re all susceptible to comparing and competing with one another…and the ways to do so are endless. From our cellphones, Instagram, Facebook, the TV, our coworkers, immediate/extended family, those we attend church with, and even strangers on the street, everywhere you turn or look, the comparison is inviting you to come to play a losing game.

It’s so easy to measure our lives against someone else’s. We compare our looks, the labels on our clothes, the kind of job we have, how many coins we got, what we drive, and even our relationships.

And speaking of relationships, when it comes to romantic relationships, we think there is only one man available so we compete for his attention, degrade other women, and even disrespect ourselves for “prize.”

Ladies, let me let you in on a little secret, we are not in a race against anyone, there is more than one prize, more than one man, and more than one crown. We don’t have to compete for it, tear each other down, beat someone else to the punch, have a crab-in-the-barrel mentality, or outshine anybody else. No one is a threat to your fulfillment or success but you.

We also don’t take our cues of beauty, worth, or success from the world. And we don’t compete for a crown we already own.  Psalm 8:5 reminds us that God has made us a little lower than the angels and has crowned us with glory and honor. That means He intricately and lovingly created you. You came here worthy, before you let out your first cry, you were worthy.

No one else has your fingerprints or DNA (think about that, there are billions of people in this world and no one’s fingerprints or DNA is the same). God even knows the number of hairs on your head and if that’s not being intimately known, I don’t know what is.

When God crowned us with glory and honor, He did so without requiring an audition, performance, or speech. And the best news is…they are no 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place winners…. we’re all winners!

God made us all different for a reason and He loves all of his masterpieces just the same. I believe it dishonors and saddens him when we don’t love ourselves or each other for that matter.

There are things you can do that I will never be able to do and vice versa. And even if I tried it wouldn’t work. I wouldn’t be happy doing it because it’s not a part of my makeup. We’re all created with unique gifts, talents, and abilities, and have a specific purpose to fulfill.

Trying to be a replica of someone, living a façade, keeping up with the Joneses, and being envious or jealous only hinders you and it’s a waste of time. We can’t get mad at people who have decided to live authentically, because we have that same option too!

Let go of the need to compete or compare yourself to anyone. According to Ephesians 2:10, you are God’s unique masterpiece, and He has planned some wonderful things just for you long ago, and guess what? He wants to give them to you but it requires that you focus on the woman in the mirror, embrace all that is her, and develop a healthy love of God and yourself and it will spill over into everything you do!

There will always be someone who has more and less than you. You can pick your life apart, critique your looks and focus on what you wish you had, or you can choose gratitude and enjoy the life God has given you.

Comparison and competition aren’t going anywhere, they must be managed. There is only one suggestion that I have if you are adamant about comparing your life to something, compare it to the Word of God. God’s word is your mirror, your measuring stick, your report card of how well you’re doing because any other type of comparison will not improve your life.

And the only person you should be competing against is the person you were yesterday. Never stop growing, learning, and striving to become God’s version of you.

You’ve already won! You just have to believe it and show up as the confident, strong, beautiful, and deserving woman that you are. Go and become all you were meant to be. ????

I will close today… with a lesson that I’ve learned and I’ll share it in the form of an affirmation. I encourage you to write it down and say it to yourself daily.

I am ONE of a kind.

I am God’s unique masterpiece.

I don’t compete with anyone

And there’s no one that compares to me.

God has prepared some GOOD things just for me and I’m determined to become EVERYTHING He had in mind.

Please feel free to leave a comment if this blog resonates with you. I would love to hear your thoughts and will be sure to reply too!

Thanks for coming back again this month and hanging out with me. I love it when you do!

**Friendly reminder:**

I’m taking a break for a couple of months and will resume blogging in March 2023.

Thanks for all the love you continue to show to me. Wishing you God’s best in advance for the New Year. I appreciate you!????

You are celebrated and appreciated my fellow Party of ONE!

God’s best always,

Leslie