I read the best advice on facebook a dear friend and mom gave to her kids before they headed off to school.
“No matter what happens this school year, all I ask is that you be good to people.”
Here’s the thing, I know one of the things at the top of your list this school year: To be cool.
I know, I know you would not admit this, but before you do the eye roll or quit reading, I have one question: Will you be cool or caring?
Here’s the deal, it’s really hard to do both.
When we are operating in “cool mode” we are all about ourselves. Pay attention to the next time you are trying to be cool, you will realize one thing: you are only thinking of you. How you look, how you sound, and guess what? Not only are you only focusing on you, but what’s behind it is this: Caring too much what others think.
Here’s the challenge: What if this school year instead of caring what others think, you just cared for others? You cared more about lifting others up and helping others feel good about themselves, than your own ego?
Scripture tells us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition nor vain conceit. Rather, in humility honor others above yourselves. Philippians 2:3
Listen up, the world is not in need of more cool people. You know what else that mom said to her kids?” Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.”
Believe it or not, at the end of your school years, no one remembers or cares about who was the most popular or the coolest. Kinda sucks huh? After all of the blood, sweat, and tears of trying to be enough.
One more thing I want you to take with you into this school year. It’s one line in scripture that packs a powerful punch and I pray God will use it to challenge you.
It was written by the Apostle John. One of the dudes who was closest to Jesus, who saw Him, touched Him, learned from Him, and when he wrote this, he was at the end of his life and had no time to mess around.
He left us with this warning: Dear Children, do not let anyone lead you astray.
Hang on let me say that again: Dear Children, do. not. let. anyone. lead. you. astray. (1 John 3:7)
Let’s be honest.
Every single one of us at one time or another has let someone lead us astray. I had a young lady once confess to me one of her closest friends started doing things she did not agree with, but because she cared so much about her and the friendship, she joined in.
As tears fell, she shared with me the guilt and fear of repeating the same pattern this school year.
Some of you are already in the middle of this, most of you will be tempted by this, this year. Ralph Emerson said: “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.”
If you let anyone lead you this year, let it be someone who leads you to greatness. To who you really are.
Get around people who challenge you, inspire you, and motivate you. If you seek these people out, you may not find them in the über cool section. But, you will find them busy caring for others and changing the world around them.
And in doing that-they will leave legacies that will last way beyond their high school halls.
Holly you inspire all of us as parents. I love you. Xo
Brandi- Aw thank you friend! Love you too! xo