First-Rate Version

Magnificent March 24,2011
8:00 a.m.


Oh, I am just so excited to share Sarah’s March 23 reflection: Always Be a First-Rate Version of Yourself.
She starts with a quote from Judy Garland:
“ Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

I make a terrible Judy Garland but I do a pretty good Sarah Ban Breathnach. It’s taken me nearly my entire lifetime to come to this awareness, but I’ve not been the same woman since I did. Neither will you be once this truth awakens in your heart.

You see, whether we are consciously aware of it or not, we’re constantly programmed by the world to be other women, not ourselves. We’re supposed to look like Cindy Crawford, entertain like Martha Stewart, and decorate like Alexandra Stoddard. With this pervasive social schizophrenia, it’s no wonder that most women are terribly confused about the issue of authenticity.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, to be authentic is to be “ not imaginary, false or imitation.” To be authentic is to be “ genuine, veritable,bona fide,” being actually and precisely as claimed.” The only thing that we can genuinely claim to be is ourselves. But our best is good enough, even on a bad day. I know a woman who is a high powered advertising executive in New York. There is no one I know on the planet who is more creative, articulate, accomplished and funny, but some days she doesn’t see it that way. She grew up in a home where performance was always graded and as a result she’s extremely hard on herself. Her personal grade of C- is probably everybody’s A+.

We are all so hard on ourselves. We not only want to be other people, we want to be a perfect version of them.

Let me tell you about another woman I know, When her first book was published, close friends will testify, she acted like a raving lunatic. Instead of congratulating herself on producing such a beautiful book after years of effort, she was about to throw herself on a cliff because she had used a wrong verb tense in one sentence. Instead of celebrating her achievement, she robbed herself of joy.

Now, she knows better, thank God. Did you know Amish quilters will deliberately add a mismatched patch to each quilt to remind them that only Spirit can create perfectly? We need to remember that. We should only strive to be a first rate version of ourselves. And our best is always good enough.

Oh, what a refreshing reminder to us, to me in particular, as I am on the last 2 months stretch before my appointment with the stork.

My long list of TO DO is driving me up the wall already. I initially wanted everything to be perfect...but, now, I have to pace myself and say....Let Go...and Let God. So long as I do what I need to do...all others will fall into place. Good enough for me...and that is for the best