Becoming Truly Successful

Do you ever feel like nobody understands your life? Often in our life it's nice to have people to lean on and people that have known us since we were born. I like people who have known me since I was little and know my story from the very beginning. I feel like those people know me best. But, nobody can stand in your shoes and know exactly what it's like to be you. Nobody has been what you've been through. Nobody knows what it feels like to be you. Nobody.

Looking around at all the people I know there have been times that I've felt jealous of other people's lives and wished mine could be as successful as theirs appeared to be. Lately in my life it seems like all the people I know are going out into the world and becoming "adults" while I'm just trying to get through the week breathing. It seems like everyone I know is finding their perfect mate whom they'll spend the rest of their life with while the closest thing I have to a romantic relationship is cuddling up with my stuffed animals at night. Yeah, I know, it's sad!

While other people seem to be finding their dream jobs I'm just trying to get through my classes at college with a passing grade. It's hard to meet up to all the expectations society throws on us. It's hard to always have it together. All the pressure society puts on us- and all the pressure we put upon ourselves: "We have to look perfect, have the latest fashion style, be popular, go to all the social events, know the right things to say, be the best in our field, rise up to the top, be the most successful"....the list goes on.

We can look at all the successful people out there and it's hard not to compare our lives with everyone else. It seems like this world is focusing all our attention in the wrong places. It would be nice to be the most successful person out there, rise up to the top of my career and become famous, but that's not what it's all about. It's not about getting the most money or having a perfect husband. We won't find our success or happiness with the things of this world. That is something only God can give us and something we will only find when we reach heaven. And even though I would like to become someone successful down here in my career, I would rather be famous for my faith in God. I want to be remembered as someone who may not have been well known or the best at anything, but was someone who cared for others and showed God to others even through her mistakes and failures.

This world isn't about what I become and how far up the chain I get, it's about living a life for God that shines on others to want the same love that God has given me. I just feel like so many times people keep focusing on all the things we are "supposed" to be achieving and being people living for God is not one of them. One day when I reach heaven I hope that maybe just one person would come up to me and tell me that God used my life in such a way to touch them so they realized they wanted the same love I showed them through my life and they decided to follow Jesus- to me that would be more successful than being the most famous person in my field out there. I want more meaning to my life than just a job title.

Today look at your life. How is your life impacting others? Do you see a life that is touching others for God or do you only see your focus on your job, interests or yourself? We all get caught up in the things of this world and it's hard to remember why we're really here. It's never too late to start re-focusing your life on what really matters! Nobody can live the life you are living and nobody can use your life to touch others -but you and God can!