You do You( this is the actual title)
I have noticed the phrase “you do you” a lot in my teaching experience. Teachers will say it to their young students to encourage them to take responsibility for themselves. When they are tattling and focused on what other people are doing the response is “who do you worry about?” Or “you do you”.
I am going to tweak the phrase a bit to “you be you”.
As a racer we put a lot of value on the Myers Briggs Personality test. It helps give us identity and sometimes they use it to help group us. Mostly though I think that it provides us with excuses. Thus begins my little rant…feel free to quit reading at any time.I have seen people use their personality ratings as excuses. Excuses as why they need to be with people, excuses for why they can’t be around anyone, excuses to miss ministry or run and do something else. One thing that I have seen lately is the test results being used as a cope out in building friendships. Because, there is no way you can possibly get along with someone who has a different letter then you right?
There has been comments twice this month alone about how extroverted I am. My initial response because I am still such a people pleaser is (ok maybe I can tone it down a little bit in order to make you more comfortable). When I think about it a little more though I realize that that is stupid. I know a few people who have gotten some of the same type of comments about who they are. Some have tried to change those things about themselves to try and please others. What I have to say to those people right now is “you do you”. Don’t let a subjective test define who you are, but at the same time don’t let other people define who you need to, or are going to be. Yes it’s a clique but you do know where your true identity comes from. You do know who’s image you were created in. You do know that none of it was a mistake right?
So I have taken the test three times now and every time I have taken it the results have been different. Lately though I think I have discovered that I don’t really care. E? I? S? N? F? T?J? P? Who cares!?!? Those are letters. They are saying we fit inside some sort of box. I don’t know about you but my personality is way too complex to fit in any sort of box. I am not saying that I hate the test. There is a lot of truth and good that can come out of it. I am just saying that rather then letting letters define my personality I am going to let the fallowing words do the trick. I didn’t need to do any sort of personality test to discover who I am. I am …
A child of God
Beloved
Bride
Friend
Servant
Redeemed
Heir
Princess
Made in His image
Precious in His sight.
That’s good enough for me:)
Maybe instead of letters we should all put more value on the above words. Maybe we need to focus more on how we are alike and less on our differences.There is no way you can please everyone. There is no way for you to be exactly like someone else. So I am going to continue to be me. Are you going to choose to be you?
