You might be thinking, "Trent, I really don't know that I'm great." You think that because you have let the world corrupt your thoughts. You have let the world corrupt your opinion about yourself - about your value. Listen to me -- you are great because you were created by a great God, to be great. Stop allowing everything external to determine your worth. Stop allowing the people around you to determine your worth. Stop allowing the amount of followers you have on Instagram to determine your worth. You determine your worth. You determine your greatness.
I want to bring down the practicality on this challenge I have for you. I don't need you to wake up at five in the morning every day. I don't need you to lift three times your body weight. Here's my challenge to you: Do one thing this week that will improve your life for the better. Just one. Maybe you have a friend that has been incredibly toxic to have around in your life. They bring you down and always make you feel pessimistic and skeptical about everything. Maybe it's time to let go of that friendship if it isn't serving anyone. Maybe that's what loving yourself looks like this week. This friend may call you stuck up, they may call you selfish, but here's the thing. People who want to use you, people who don't really care about what is best for you are going to shame you for doing the right thing. They want to keep doing the wrong thing and when they see someone like you getting life together it's going to scare and frustrate them. So they try to call you stuck up, selfish, and every name in the book to try and keep you down at their level. You need launching pad friends, not friends that act like quicksand in your life.
Many of us are so afraid of people spreading gossip about us or spreading rumors about us. Who cares? Who cares what people say? People will always talk, but you cannot let that stop you from doing the right thing and taking care of yourself. When you know the truth about yourself, those lies cannot penetrate your soul. When you know the truth about yourself, that gossip cannot penetrate your soul. When you know the truth about yourself, those rumours cannot penetrate your soul. As long as you walk in pride, walk in dignity, walk in respect, your character will always respond positively to the criticisms. Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with critiques, but that is different than haters. You've got to know the truth to be able to tell the difference between them. When you hear that comment, do the work. Ask yourself if they know you for who you really are. Ask yourself if they really have your best interest in mind. Ask yourself if taking their comment into consideration will really improve your life and help you to live according to your truth. When you can live knowing your truth, you can be unstoppable.
It all starts with you.
