When folk ask us what someone looks like, what do we say? When they ask us what do we look like, what do we say? Tall. Short. Brown eyes. Long hair. Bald. You get the picture. But what do you really look like? Do you look like the way you describe yourself or do you look like what you've been through? Uh oh. I just said something. Do you look like the hurt, pain, hard times, and the failures you've endured? When folk look at you, what do they see? Better question. What do you see? Do you look like that stuff, those things, them folk? Are you carrying the residue from it? "Well, now that you mention, Eric, I am. How do I get rid of it?" I'll share with you a few ways to do this. But first, I want to congratulate you on your courage and language. You said, "How do I get RID of it?" Shout out to you for taking charge and tossing that junk out for good! Yay you! Now, let's hit a few ways to get rid of that mess!
1. You've got to have a short memory. For my football fans, you know that defensive backs say this a lot. They have to. When they're guarding the speedy wide receiver who burns them for a touchdown, they've got to use that short memory to get their minds right back in the game. They can't focus on what happened on that play. If they do, the receiver will likely beat them for the rest of the night. The same is true for you. When negative and untrue things are said or done to you, you've got a choice to make. You can dwell on it and buy into the negativity or you can utilize your short memory to forget about that mess and press on like Lee Nails.
2. You've got to have the mentality of a sifter. You know, the little metal devices that you use to sift flour and similar ingredients. Sifters break up the clumps of those ingredients. Because you're not a Bad Landlord, you sift the things that attempt to come into your space. You break down the clumps and determine what can stay and what must go. You evict the junk that doesn't belong. You tell it, "You don't have to go home, but you have to get out of here!" You've got to realize that you're sifting for gold. Have the mentality of a gold miner. They're determined to find and only keep the gold they find. That other stuff? They toss it out. But they've got to know the difference between the good stuff that needs to be kept and the pyrite or "fool's gold". You've got to do the same thing. Determine if what they said matters, should be sifted and kept, or if it's worthless fool's gold that you should throw out. I'll give you a hint: You're looking for GOLD!
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| Evict the junk! |
3. Put your makeup on. Fellas, calm down. I know half of you just passed out. I'll give you a few seconds to come to... Back? No. Ok. A few more... Alright, breathe. Stay with me. I'm going somewhere. A few years ago, I remember reading about a new type of plastic surgery called permanent makeup. You heard me right. Permanent makeup. Plastic surgeons will outline your eyes and color your cheeks with a permanent pigment. "So, Eric. This is what you want me to do?" No, that's not what I'm saying. Peep. I want you to put your permanent makeup on. That is, the make up that shows us what you really look like. Make up your mind that you look like...Joy. Peace. Love. Contentment. Grace. Faithful. Kindness. Warmth. That's who you really are. That's what you really look like. If the previously mentioned types of make up don't go well with your "skin", guess what? There are shades for ALL skin tones! And with your permanent make up on, you're sure to shine and glow! Yes, fellas. Sometimes, even we glow. Deal with it. Uh oh. I think they're down again.
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| Your "make up" can look as flawless as Lupita's |
4. Mind your mouth. That is, instead of spewing fool's gold or buying it from someone else, what if you said...I AM a great teacher. I AM a good business owner. I AM smart. I AM a good student. I WILL succeed. I WILL graduate. I WILL finish on time. I WILL publish my book. I WILL start my business. Don't just say these things. Write. Them. Down. There's something very powerful about seeing them in black and white or whatever colors you choose. Yes, I want you to speak those things, because there's much power in the spoken word, but remember, I'm a sign guy. I double up! I speak those things and write them down. Double coverage!
So, the next time someone asks you, "What do you look like?" A BIG, broad smile is going to break out all across your face. Because you'll know exactly what you look like. A champion who's ready to fly into and throughout the New Year and beyond!!!
