Recently, I read a poem by Maya Angelou entitled "Haters." I think it defines some key principles we all should think about (young and old), as we travel life's journey.
She starts off by defining a hater: "A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall." This is so true, and something all of us, especially our youth should always remember. It's okay to be unique, in fact, I encourage it. I often hear of junior high to high school age teenagers trying so hard to fit in, and feeling lonely because they don't. Even as adults, we often "settle" in a rut to try and achieve some goal that society has defined for us as success. I have three messages for you that I have derived from Maya Angelou's poem (excerpts in quotes):
1-Be guarded and even protective of your dreams (Avoid Haters): "That's why you have to be careful with whom you share your blessings and your dreams, because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed..."
2-Identify your unique purpose: "A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be. Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you."
3-Make sure you are not a hater (Check your own internal thought process): "You never know what people have gone through to get what they have...The problem with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story..."
A wise person once told me to stay in my lane. I think that is good advice. I need to spend less time worrying about what others have, and what I don't. More time should be spent on how I can maximize the gifts I have while demonstrating value. Remember, someone is always watching, and they can truly learn from a unique individual, not someone trying to be a carbon copy of someone else.
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